WEB API SECURITY AND AUTHENTICATION PROTOCOLS

This article focuses on the security of Web APIs, which are an integral part of modern web applications and microservice architectures, especially authentication and authorization protocols. In the exchange of information through APIs, their protection is of great importance. The main goal of the study is to analyze the main threats aimed at APIs (e.g., Token theft, IDOR, API Injections) and modern authentication standards (OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, JWT, API Keys) used to prevent them. The article explains the principles of secure API design and development through configuration guidelines. The importance of risk assessment and continuous monitoring is emphasized by referring to security standards such as OWASP API Security Top 10. Research and statistical analysis show that strong authentication, properly configured ACLs (Access Control Lists), and the implementation of encrypted communication protocols (HTTPS/TLS) are key factors in ensuring API security