EP 385 - Does Your API Security Strategy Need an Upgrade? - Reuben Koh - Akamai Technologies

As digital ecosystems grow more connected, APIs have become the core channels through which data flows, services interact, and innovation happens. But this shift has also introduced new risks.

In this episode of ATP, Reuben Koh, Director, Security Strategy - Asia Pacific & Japan at Akamai Technologies, explains how essential APIs are to digital experiences.

Some of the topics Reuben covered in detail include:

• In today's digital world, APIs are no longer behind-the-scenes components—they are mission-critical interfaces that power user experiences, connect systems, and move sensitive data at scale.
• Despite their proliferation, most organizations have shockingly poor awareness of their own API infrastructure.
• One of the most revealing insights from Reuben was the scale of API abuse, not just mere attacks. Abuse happens when APIs are used in ways for they were not intended, oftentimes creating malicious, unexpected consequences.
• In 2024, for the first time, Akamai saw more internet traffic generated by APIs than by humans. Bots now dominate the digital landscape, probing, testing, and exploiting vulnerable endpoints.
• The finance sector, unsurprisingly, remains the top target for web application and API attacks. Reuben share some shocking examples.