Defense in Depths: Outer and Inner Layer Protection

In modern cybersecurity, the combination of API security platforms and Runtime Application Self-Protection (RASP) creates a robust “defense-in-depth” strategy by protecting applications from multiple vantage points. API security acts as the outer perimeter, while RASP provides a final, inner layer of defense right at the application’s core.

The Role of API Security: The Outer Layer

API security platforms, often deployed at the network edge or as part of a gateway, serve as the first line of defense. Their primary function is to inspect and manage all traffic to and from APIs, which are a top target for attackers. These platforms focus on:

• API Discovery: They automatically discover and catalog all API endpoints, including undocumented, unauthorized, or unmanaged API (aka shadow APIs), giving you a full view of your attack surface.
• Schema Validation: By enforcing a strict schema, they block requests that are malformed or contain unexpected data, preventing common attacks like injection and data manipulation.
• Behavioral Baselines: They use machine learning to establish a baseline of normal API traffic, then detect and block anomalous behavior, such as a sudden spike in requests (DDoS) or unusual data access patterns (Broken Object Level Authorization – BOLA).

An API security platform is like a vigilant security guard at the entrance of a building. It checks everyone’s ID, verifies their purpose, and watches for suspicious behavior before they can even get inside.

The Role of RASP: The Inner Layer

RASP, on the other hand, operates from within the application itself. It’s not concerned with network traffic; it’s concerned with what the application is doing as it runs. RASP’s core function is to become part of the application’s immune system, offering a final layer of protection that other security tools might miss. Its key contributions are:

• Real-time Attack Neutralization: RASP monitors the application’s behavior at runtime. If an attacker’s payload bypasses the API security platform and attempts to execute, RASP will detect the malicious action and immediately neutralize it.
• Contextual Awareness: Because it is embedded within the application, RASP understands the application’s logic and data flow. This allows it to distinguish between legitimate and malicious activity with high accuracy, leading to fewer false positives.
• Zero-Day Protection: RASP’s behavioral approach means it doesn’t rely on signatures or known attack patterns. It can block zero-day exploits by recognizing malicious behavior as it happens, regardless of whether the specific attack is known.

RASP is the equivalent of having a security expert embedded within each room of the building. Even if an intruder gets past the front door, the expert can identify their malicious actions and stop them before they can cause damage.

A Synergistic Defense-in-Depth Strategy

The true power lies in using these two controls together. This layered approach is a hallmark of an effective defense-in-depth strategy.

• The API security platform provides the first, most scalable line of defense, filtering out the bulk of attacks and reducing the load on the application itself. It protects the entire API ecosystem.
• RASP provides a surgical, highly accurate final layer of protection. It catches the sophisticated attacks and zero-days that may slip past the outer defenses, protecting individual applications and APIs from within.

Together, API Security and RASP, create a robust security posture where one solution’s weakness is covered by the other’s strength. This ensures that even when one layer of security fails, there are multiple controls in place to detect, block, and even remediate an attack, significantly increasing the resilience of your applications.

Not All RASPs are Created Equally

Waratek’s approach to RASP is fundamentally different from other runtime tools, one of the key reasons it is more effective in protecting and remediating apps and APIs. Waratek Secure is integrated directly into the running application. This gives it an unparalleled, context-aware view of an application’s internal workings. It doesn’t just see a suspicious request; it sees how that request is processed by the code, the data it attempts to access, and the libraries on which it relies.

This deep, real-time visibility generates a stream of high-fidelity threat intelligence that is simply unattainable with other tools. When Secure detects and neutralizes a threat, in real time, the alerts it also generates are rich, actionable intelligence, often including:

• The precise line of vulnerable code that was targeted.
• The full attack payload, revealing the attacker’s methodology.
• The application’s state at the time of the attack.
• The identity of the user or system that initiated the malicious request.

This level of detail transforms your security posture and provides invaluable feedback to development teams, enabling them to understand the real-world attack vectors targeting their code and build more secure applications from the ground up.

Learn more how runtime protection and remediation can instantly improve your security posture. Request a demo today of Waratek Secure.