API Security Best Practices for Data Enrichment
API security isn't optional-it's fundamental. Learn essential security practices for building and consuming data enrichment APIs, from authentication and encryption to rate limiting and compliance.
Why API Security Matters
APIs are the backbone of modern applications, but they're also prime targets for attackers. Data enrichment APIs are particularly sensitive because they handle professional contact information, company intelligence, user credentials, payment data, and usage analytics.
A security breach can destroy trust, violate regulations, and cost millions. This guide covers the essential security practices you need to implement.
Authentication Methods
API Keys
API keys are the most common authentication method for data enrichment APIs. They're simple to implement and use, but require careful handling.
API Key Best Practices
- Never expose keys in client-side code - Always call APIs from your backend
- Use environment variables - Never hardcode keys in source code
- Hash keys in database - Store bcrypt hashes, not plaintext
- Generate cryptographically secure keys - Use crypto.randomBytes(32)
- Support key rotation - Allow users to regenerate keys
- Implement key prefixes - Makes keys identifiable (e.g., "nr_live_...")
JWT Tokens
JSON Web Tokens (JWT) are ideal for user-facing applications where you need stateless authentication with expiration and refresh capabilities.
- Stateless: No server-side session storage required
- Expiration: Built-in token expiry for security
- Claims: Embed user info and permissions in token
- Refresh tokens: Long-lived tokens for obtaining new access tokens
Input Validation
Never trust user input. Always validate and sanitize data before processing to prevent injection attacks and data corruption.
Validation Checklist
- ✓ Validate data types (string, number, boolean)
- ✓ Check required fields are present
- ✓ Validate format (email, URL, phone number)
- ✓ Enforce length limits
- ✓ Whitelist allowed values
- ✓ Sanitize special characters
- ✓ Return clear error messages
Rate Limiting for Security
Rate limiting isn't just about protecting your infrastructure-it's a critical security control that prevents abuse, brute force attacks, and DDoS attempts.
Multi-Layer Rate Limiting
Implement rate limiting at multiple levels for comprehensive protection:
- Layer 1 - Global (per IP): 100 requests per minute
- Layer 2 - User (per API key): 20 requests per minute
- Layer 3 - Endpoint-specific: 5 requests per minute for expensive operations
This layered approach protects against different attack vectors while allowing legitimate usage.
HTTPS and Encryption
All API communication must be encrypted. HTTPS is non-negotiable for production APIs.
Encryption Checklist
- ✓ Enforce HTTPS - Redirect all HTTP traffic
- ✓ Use TLS 1.3 - Disable older, vulnerable protocols
- ✓ HSTS headers - Force browsers to use HTTPS
- ✓ Encrypt data at rest - Encrypt sensitive database fields
- ✓ Secure key storage - Use environment variables or secret managers
Security Headers
Security headers provide an additional layer of protection against common web vulnerabilities.
- Strict-Transport-Security: Force HTTPS connections
- X-Content-Type-Options: Prevent MIME type sniffing
- X-Frame-Options: Prevent clickjacking attacks
- Content-Security-Policy: Control resource loading
- Referrer-Policy: Control referrer information
Monitoring and Logging
Security monitoring helps detect attacks early and provides forensic data for incident response.
Security Events to Log
- Failed authentication attempts
- Rate limit violations
- Unusual access patterns
- API key creation/deletion
- Permission changes
- Large data exports
- Validation failures
⚠️ Important: Never Log Secrets
Always redact sensitive information from logs: API keys, passwords, tokens, credit card numbers, and personal data. Use structured logging with automatic redaction.
OWASP Top 10 for APIs
The OWASP API Security Top 10 identifies the most critical security risks for APIs:
- Broken Object Level Authorization - Always verify user has access to requested resources
- Broken Authentication - Implement strong authentication mechanisms
- Broken Object Property Level Authorization - Don't expose sensitive fields
- Unrestricted Resource Consumption - Implement rate limiting
- Broken Function Level Authorization - Verify permissions for each action
Compliance Considerations
When handling professional data, you must comply with data protection regulations like GDPR.
GDPR Requirements
- Lawful basis - Document why you're processing data
- Data minimization - Only collect necessary data
- Purpose limitation - Use data only for stated purposes
- Storage limitation - Delete data when no longer needed
- Data subject rights - Support access, deletion, portability
- Security measures - Implement appropriate safeguards
- Breach notification - Report breaches within 72 hours
Conclusion
API security is an ongoing process, not a one-time task. Implement these best practices from day one, regularly audit your security posture, and stay informed about new vulnerabilities and attack vectors.
Remember: security is about layers. No single measure is perfect, but together they create a robust defense against attacks. Start with the fundamentals-authentication, encryption, validation, and monitoring-then build from there.
Secure API Access to Professional Data
Netrows implements enterprise-grade security: encrypted connections, hashed API keys, rate limiting, and comprehensive logging.