Nearly 20% of APAC firms turn to AI/ML solutions to tackle API security challenges

2024.07.25. The Fair Economy — F5, a provider of multi-cloud application services and security solutions, recently released its first 2024 strategic insights report, titled "2024 Strategic Insights: API Security in APAC."

According to the report, enterprises in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region are increasingly relying on artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML)-powered solutions to address various security issues related to application programming interfaces (APIs).

The report examines the challenges and opportunities surrounding API security, noting that APIs play a pivotal role in enhancing digital experiences.

As APIs have become a prime target for cyberattacks, companies in the APAC region are adopting AI/ML technologies to detect and mitigate sophisticated attacks—such as server-side request forgery (SSRF)—that traditional security defenses cannot detect.

Additionally, about 20% of enterprises have adopted API gateways to mitigate a wide range of vulnerabilities, including weak access control and unrestricted access to sensitive business flows.

In South Korea, the adoption rate of AI/ML solutions stands at 28.5%, reflecting a strong reliance on advanced technologies for comprehensive threat detection and protection.

Integrating AI/ML with solutions such as API gateways has pushed the adoption rate up to 19.5%, suggesting strong demand for robust, multilayered defense strategies.

"Applications have become a gateway for cybercrime, and cybercriminals are increasingly using APIs as the key to that gateway," said Mohan Veloo, chief technology officer for F5's Asia-Pacific, China and Japan region. "As cybercriminals leverage AI-powered tools, attacks are growing in speed, scale and sophistication." He added that protecting API connections and the data transmitted through them has therefore become a critical security challenge, particularly for the many companies in the APAC region looking to deliver AI.

"Companies in the APAC region face unique API security threats that differ significantly from global OWASP rankings," said Manoj Menon, founder and CEO of Twimbit. "This research underscores the urgent need for tailored security measures to address specific risks such as broken authentication, SSRF and security misconfiguration. Notably, countries including South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand and India have placed the highest priority on this issue, pointing to varied API adoption patterns across the APAC region. It is clear that diverse testing, access management and continuous runtime protection are essential to a consistent approach to API security across APAC."

While companies in the APAC region seek to protect APIs during runtime, there is also growing recognition of the importance of securing APIs from the early stages of development.

Strong code security standards and enforcement (17.5%) are emerging as a key strategy for companies in the APAC region to protect APIs against a broad and complex range of vulnerabilities, from broken object level authorization (BOLA) to security misconfiguration and SSRF.