APIs have become a vital part of doing business. Organizations increasingly rely on the use of APIs for day-to-day workflows, particularly as cloud applications become something of a mainstay. A recent report found that the average number of APIs per company increased by 221% in 2021. Not only are APIs impossible to ignore, but the need to invest in API security cannot be overlooked. The trend in usage is closely followed by opportunists seeking ways to exploit vulnerabilities for their gain.

Authentication as a baseline security control is essential for organizations to know who and what is accessing corporate resources and assets. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) states that authentication is the process of verifying that a user’s identity is genuine.

Cloud computing has created the most profound shift in information technology in recent memory. Leveraging cloud technology, companies can build, deploy, and scale their applications faster than ever. But the adoption of cloud native tools and processes also brings new security challenges. Between complex cloud infrastructure and the expansion of cloud-based services, malicious actors have access to a bigger attack surface than they did even a few years ago.

One of the benefits of a secure access service edge (SASE) framework is that organizations can dramatically simplify the implementation of security services without having to go through constant network redesigns and appliance operating system updates.