Securing the API Economy: Optiv and F5 Join Forces Against Rising Cyber Threats

September 19, 2024

The digital age is defined by its speed, innovation and interconnectedness, with the application programming interface (API) economy standing at the center of this rapid evolution. APIs are the conduits that power modern applications, helping businesses provide enhanced customer experiences and operational efficiency.

 

However, this interconnectedness also presents significant cybersecurity challenges. As APIs become increasingly integral to business success, they also attract more attention from malicious actors. This is why the collaboration between Optiv and F5 is pivotal for enterprises looking to safeguard their digital assets in the API economy.

 

Here’s a close look at how our collaboration helps clients manage, secure and optimize their APIs and applications.

 

 

Rising API Threats and the Need for Advanced Security

APIs are now the linchpins of cloud services, mobile applications and the Internet of Things (IoT), making them a lucrative target for cybercriminals. APIs are the unsung heroes of our connected world, but they're also among the most vulnerable points in any network. It's like building a skyscraper with state-of-the-art design yet leaving the front (and the side) doors unlocked.

 

The essence of today's API threats is sophisticated, pervasive and potentially devastating, and the fact that over 90% of web attacks are now aimed at API endpoints is a wake-up call for the industry. Advanced API-specific security measures are not optional. They are imperative for the survival and success of any digital enterprise. What’s needed is a layered security architecture that is both comprehensive and adaptable, informed by the attack patterns in use by adversaries.

 

The cybersecurity industry has responded mostly with point solutions geared toward one aspect of API governance or another. Such products offer diverse but limited capabilities, like API discovery to find APIs known to be in use or scanning and testing tools to help find vulnerabilities in code or API documentation and attempt to close these gaps.

 

But the future of API security is not a set of point solutions you must cobble together and try to integrate yourself. Enter Optiv and F5.

 

 

Embracing a ‘Shift Left’ Security Philosophy

As part of the focus on security APIs, F5 has led and embraced the “shift left” security philosophy which allows organizations to integrate security early in the software development life cycle. With the acquisition of Wib, a company specializing in API security, F5 provides the tools to enable security to be woven into the fabric of API development from the very beginning.

 

Optiv's proactive stance on risk assessment and management dovetails with this approach. Optiv has long supported the integration of application and API security as an integral part of the software development life cycle. Conversations have moved from just security teams to now include application developers. Shifting left is an ingrained part of security development. Optiv is proud to have a partner such as F5 to help drive the built-in security model.

 

To achieve this shift left means addressing the full API life cycle and augmenting API discovery and protection capabilities with:

 

  • API code analysis to discover API endpoints and assess their risks before they are deployed in production
  • API testing to probe for vulnerabilities and to validate suspected threats detected in code and traffic analysis
  • API compliance analysis to ensure proper API security posture is aligned with the customer’s regulatory requirements
  • API threat surface assessment to monitor an organization’s public assets for the emergence of new APIs and for those which are outside of security governance
  • API security fusion engine to create a seamlessly integrated solution where every threat, vulnerability or insight is validated across all information sources

 

 

Designing Agile Solutions for a Secure Digital Future

The digital future is evolving as quickly as the technology itself. The partnership between Optiv and F5 is not just about confronting current threats. It’s about creating adaptable, scalable security architectures that can respond to new challenges as they arise. At Optiv, technology and point solutions are the tip of the iceberg. Optiv offers several AppSec assessments and services to secure enterprise applications. Leveraging the information observed from all engagements allows Optiv to maintain insight into client challenges. Together with F5, insight and technology can be leveraged jointly to predict and prevent new security threats.

 

Organizations that partner with Optiv and F5 can expect actionable insights and strategic guidance tailored to their specific needs. By focusing on long-term security and compliance, we equip our clients with the confidence to innovate and expand in the API economy.

Chuck Herrin
Field CISO | F5
Herrin’s purview includes customer advocacy and active engagement across product, marketing, sales and channel operations to bring thought leadership and alignment of solutions with the real-world problems enterprise customers face every day. Prior to F5, he was the CTO of Wib, an API security firm that created the second generation of API security solutions designed from the ground up to provide end-to-end visibility, testing and context to discover, test and secure all APIs across a customer ecosystem. Before that, Herrin spent 19 years as a CISO in financial services and banking.
Allen Chi
Practice Manager | Optiv
Chi’s background has enabled him to run the web app and API security subpractice at Optiv. As such, he provides thought leadership and ensures excellent delivery of web app and API security solutions for Optiv’s enterprise customers. Chi has also spent time supporting F5 technologies at Optiv as a delivery consultant, delivering on large-scale F5 products for financial and health care solutions.

Optiv Security: Secure greatness.®

Optiv is the cyber advisory and solutions leader, delivering strategic and technical expertise to nearly 6,000 companies across every major industry. We partner with organizations to advise, deploy and operate complete cybersecurity programs from strategy and managed security services to risk, integration and technology solutions. With clients at the center of our unmatched ecosystem of people, products, partners and programs, we accelerate business progress like no other company can. At Optiv, we manage cyber risk so you can secure your full potential. For more information, visit www.optiv.com.