Metlo - Open Source API Security Platform

APIs have become an essential part of modern business operations, connecting different systems and services to create seamless digital experiences for customers. However, with the increasing reliance on APIs, it’s more important than ever to ensure that they are secure and protected from potential threats. That’s where Metlo comes in. In this blog, we will explore the powerful capabilities of Metlo, a tool that helps you manage and secure your API endpoints and sensitive data. With Metlo, you can easily create an inventory of all your API endpoints, detect common API vulnerabilities, proactively test your APIs before they go into production, and detect API attacks in real time. So, if you want to keep your API infrastructure secure and protected, read on!

What is API Security ?

API security is a critical aspect of protecting data and ensuring that only authorized users can access sensitive information. It is essential to have robust security measures in place to prevent unauthorized access, data breaches, and other security threats. One of the most important elements of API security is authentication, which ensures that only authorized users are able to access the API. This can be achieved through various methods such as token-based authentication, two-factor authentication, and other forms of identity verification. Additionally, it is crucial to have proper access controls in place, such as role-based access, to ensure that users are only able to access the data they are authorized to see. Overall, implementing strong API security measures is crucial for protecting sensitive information and maintaining the integrity of data.

Metlo – API Security Platform

Metlo is a powerful tool that helps you manage and secure your API endpoints and sensitive data. With Metlo, you can easily create an inventory of all your API endpoints and sensitive data, which allows you to better understand and manage your API infrastructure. This is especially important for organizations that have multiple API endpoints and need to keep track of them all.

One of the key features of Metlo is its ability to detect common API vulnerabilities. This is done by scanning your API traffic using one of the connectors and then analyzing trace data. This allows you to proactively test your APIs before they go into production, ensuring that they are secure and free from vulnerabilities. In addition to detecting vulnerabilities, Metlo also helps you detect API attacks in real time. This is done by monitoring your API traffic and analyzing it for any signs of suspicious activity. If an attack is detected, Metlo will alert you immediately so that you can take action to protect your API infrastructure.

Metlo - Open-source API security platform. — Metlo – Open-source API security platform.

Metlo Features

Endpoint Discovery: Metlo is a powerful tool that scans network traffic to create an inventory of every single endpoint in your API. This allows you to have a clear understanding of all the different endpoints that are present in your API, giving you greater visibility and control over your API infrastructure.
Sensitive Data Scanning: Metlo goes beyond just identifying endpoints and also scans each endpoint for PII data (personally identifiable information) and assigns a risk score to each endpoint. This helps you to identify which endpoints may contain sensitive data and prioritize them for further security measures.
Vulnerability Discovery: Metlo alerts you to issues such as unauthenticated endpoints returning sensitive data, missing HSTS headers, PII data in URL parameters, open API specification differences, and more. This allows you to quickly identify and address any vulnerabilities in your API infrastructure.
API Security Testing: Metlo enables you to build security tests directly within the tool using a simple HTTP request editor and javascript assertions. This allows you to easily test your API for security vulnerabilities and ensure that it is protected against potential attacks.
CI/CD Integration: Metlo integrates with your CI/CD pipeline, allowing you to find issues in development and staging environments. This helps you to catch vulnerabilities early in the development process and fix them before they make it to production.
Attack Detection: Metlo uses machine learning algorithms to build a model of baseline API behavior. Any deviation from this baseline is surfaced to your security team as soon as possible, allowing you to quickly identify and respond to potential attacks.
Attack Context: Metlo’s user interface provides full context around any attack, allowing you to quickly understand the nature of the attack and take the appropriate steps to fix the vulnerability. This gives you the information you need to quickly and effectively address any security issues in your API infrastructure.

Getting started

If you’re looking to get started with Metlo, there are three options available to you. The first option is Metlo Cloud, which is the most popular choice among users. This option is designed to scale up to 100s of millions of requests per month, making it suitable for businesses of all sizes. Additionally, all upgrades and migrations are managed for you, so you don’t have to worry about maintaining the platform.

The second option is Metlo Self Hosted. With this option, you will be responsible for managing the platform yourself. This means that you will need to handle upgrades and migrations on your own. However, if you have the technical expertise and resources to do so, this can be a great option.

Finally, it also offer an Open Source product. This option is perfect for developers who want to customize the platform to their specific needs. With the Open Source product, you have full control over the code and can make any changes you see fit.

Useful Links related to Metlo

Website: https://www.metlo.com/
Documentation: https://docs.metlo.com/docs/getting-started
Demo App: https://demo.metlo.com/
Self Hosted: https://my.metlo.com/
Melta Cloud: https://app.metlo.com/
Github: https://github.com/metlo-labs/metlo
Metlo Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/metlohq

Conclusion

Metlo is a valuable tool for any organization that relies on API technology. With Metlo, you can easily create an inventory of your API endpoints and sensitive data, detect common API vulnerabilities, proactively test your APIs before they go into production, and detect API attacks in real time. With Metlo, you can rest assured that your API infrastructure is secure and protected from potential threats.