FSC-5: API Fundamentals & Security
Learn what APIs are, how they work, and why securing them is essential. This project introduces REST principles, JSON formatting, authentication, and API security best practices.
FSC-5: API Fundamentals & Security
Learn what APIs are, how they work, and why securing them is essential. This project introduces REST principles, JSON formatting, authentication, and API security best practices.
FSC-5: API Fundamentals & Security
Overview
APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) are the backbone of modern applications—powering communication between systems, mobile apps, and cloud services. Understanding how APIs work and how to secure them is a foundational cybersecurity skill.
This project introduces you to API communication, JSON data structures, authentication, and common API vulnerabilities. You’ll use tools such as curl, Postman, and Keycloak to gain hands-on experience interacting with and securing APIs.
What You Will Learn
- The purpose and structure of APIs
- How to make API requests and interpret responses
- Understanding JSON and endpoint parameters
- Using API keys and tokens for authentication
- Recognizing and mitigating common API vulnerabilities
- Applying governance and compliance concepts to API design
Recommended Tools
- curl or httpie (command-line testing)
- Postman (API testing GUI)
- Keycloak (token and identity management)
- OWASP Juice Shop or DVWA (testing environment)
Self-Check: Test Your API Knowledge
Before beginning, see if you can answer these:
- What is the difference between an API key and an OAuth token?
- What does the HTTP 401 status code indicate?
- What format is most commonly used for REST API responses?
Access the Full Lab Instructions
Submitting Your Work
- Document your API calls and results using screenshots or exported Postman collections.
- Include a brief reflection (200–300 words) explaining what you learned about how APIs operate and how to secure them.
- Submit your documentation to the designated course repository or LMS.
API Fundamentals & Security – Lab Instructions
API Fundamentals & Security Lab Part 1: What Is an API? An API (Application Programming Interface) allows one system or application to communicate with another. You use APIs every day—when checking the weather, streaming media, or signing in with Google. Examples: Google Maps API (location data) OpenWeather API (weather data) Wazuh API (security events and alerts) Activity: Visit https://api.github.com in your browser. Observe the JSON output and identify three key-value pairs that describe the API service. ...