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BeginnerModule 1Lesson 1/6
REST API Security Basics
Secure REST design: authn, authz, least data, least privilege
15 min+57 XP1 quiz
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Opening
APIs are the new front door
Mobile apps, SPAs, and partners talk to your backend through HTTP APIs. If authorization is weak, attackers skip the UI and hit JSON endpoints directly.
1. REST security basics
Authenticate every sensitive route
Tokens/sessions verified server-side—not only in the SPA.
Authorize per object
Owning /users/me does not mean /users/1 is allowed (BOLA/IDOR).
Minimize exposure
Do not return password hashes, internal IDs, or debug fields by default.
Rate limit & validate
Throttle auth and mutation endpoints; validate types and sizes.
Knowledge Check
1
BOLA/IDOR in APIs means:
Multiple choice