Atsign, a leader in security through invisibility, today announced the launch of Invisible APIs, powered by its innovative NoPorts technology. This groundbreaking approach to API security eliminates traditional vulnerabilities by making API endpoints undetectable to unauthorized individuals.
APIs are the backbone of modern software, enabling seamless integration across traditional applications and AI-driven systems. However, APIs that rely on open ports are inherently exposed to security threats, including denial-of-service (DoS) attacks, credential spoofing, unauthorized data access, and API key theft.
“The current paradigm of API security is fraught with vulnerabilities,” said Barbara Tallent, CEO at Atsign. “All traditional methods leave APIs visible and susceptible to a broad spectrum of attacks. By rendering APIs invisible, NoPorts delivers an unprecedented level of security at a fraction of the cost.”
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The Inherent Vulnerability of Traditional APIs
APIs typically require open ports to enable client connections, but these exposed endpoints are easily discovered through automated scanning, making them prime targets for credential stuffing, DoS attacks, data scraping, and zero-day exploits. Traditional security measures like ZTNA, API gateways, and tunneling aim to reduce risk but still rely on IP-based access controls, leaving APIs vulnerable to misconfigurations, stolen credentials, and evolving attack methods. As AI-driven threats accelerate, open ports and network-based security models continue to be exploited, making breaches inevitable.
Atsign’s Solution: Invisible APIs
Atsign’s NoPorts technology addresses these vulnerabilities by making APIs invisible. By eliminating the need for open listening ports on the device hosting the API, NoPorts effectively removes the primary attack vector, rendering the API undetectable to unauthorized people.
Key Advantages of Invisible APIs:
- Exponentially Enhanced Securityย – Eliminates DoS attacks and significantly mitigates the risks of credential theft and other security vulnerabilities.
- Reduced Complexity and Costsย – Eliminates the need for costly and complex security infrastructure, such as DDoS mitigation, firewalls, and VPNs.
- Granular Access Controlย – Restricts access to authorized individuals, enabling precise control and monitoring of API usage.
- End-to-End Encryptionย – Ensures data remains encrypted from the client to the API, preventing interception at TLS termination points.
- Polymorphic Responsesย – The API can be configured to provide different responses based on theย Atsign identity of the connecting client. This allows for an additional layer of security and customization.
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How NoPorts Achieves API Invisibility
NoPorts leverages Atsign’s zero-trust infrastructure, the atPlatform, to establish secure, peer-to-peer connections between those authorized and the API, without requiring open listening ports. Both the client and the API utilize outbound ports to establish a direct, peer-to-peer connection following cryptographic authentication. This ensures that only authorized people can access the API, while bad actors remain completely unaware of its existence.
“Imagine an API that’s exclusively accessible to authorized individuals, with every request authenticated and encrypted end-to-end,” added Tallent. “That’s the transformative power of Invisible APIs enabled by NoPorts.”
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