api keys
It’s very possible that you’re familiar with what an API is if you’re reading this post, but if you’re not familiar with what API means, it stands for application programming interface and its functionality boils down to simply connecting different programs with one another based on a set of protocols. Think about the weather app on your phone, if you’ve ever wondered how the app has access to weather data all around the world, it connects with other systems that track the weather in their location and provide certain data based on how the API is programmed to respond to requests. If you feel like you need a refresher, read my blog post about the fundamentals of APIs and how each of them are used to catch-up before continuing.
APIs require a key before developers can make requests, the key is a randomly generated string of characters associated with your project. An API key is a unique code that can help to validate and identify the application or site trying to connect to an API. They serve to identify and authenticate a project, not a user. They are helpful for marketing purposes, behavioral targeting and automation and can be used to regulate requests between programs so you can reject calls from unauthorized projects. There are two different types of API keys you will receive when signing up for an API, private keys and public keys. Public keys are open to everyone and provide uninhibited access to data in the API. Private keys are used to communicate between servers and usually only given to a few developers. It’s important to be cautious about who you share your private key with for security reasons, but I’ll dive deeper into security concerns later.
Advantages
You’re probably wondering what the benefits are for setting up API keys, the following are a few reasons why developers use them.
Security – API keys provide you with more control over who can access your application, so you can prevent unknown users from making requests. You can set the level of access based on the identity of the user or project making the request.
Analysis – As API keys can allow developers to identify projects, this can help marketers to understand who is requesting access to their site. This will allow you to create a more thorough data-based marketing strategy.
Automation – API keys can automate data tracking and reporting, you can even automate the creation of API keys, but you’ll still have to assign new keys occasionally for security purposes.
Security
As mentioned before, though we know that API keys can aid security efforts, they can also result in security concerns as APIs are often targeted by fraudulent parties. Though keys can’t identify the owner of the project or user making a request, they are still considered sensitive data and are not secure. Hackers will try to gain access to the API and as API keys exist indefinitely, you will have to manually disengage or regenerate stolen keys. Hackers will employ a variety of strategies to gain access to them, because of this there are a few best practices to follow in order to prevent fraudulent activity that will put your website at risk.
Restrict API keys
Don’t store unused keys
Regularly generate new keys
Don’t keep API keys on the client-side server
Employ API restrictions
Be aware of the rules set by the API publisher
Assign access to keys with passwords
Use keys in conjunction with authentication tokens to identify users
Use encryption that the API server can understand
Avoid using keys that aren’t secure
How to Use Them
Each API key has a set of rules determined by the owner of the API. However, most APIs follow these steps. After logging into a cloud based console such as Google Cloud Platform Console, you can then go on to create a new project or pick an existing project to access. At this point you will choose which API to use and grant access rights to its corresponding key. Then you will have to set restrictions. This allows you to maintain security and control over connections as well as who can make requests and the frequency of requests as well.
Now that you’re up to speed on the benefits of API keys and how to use them effectively, I hope you’ll think of me when implementing your next marketing or development strategy.
