Introduction

APIs are critical assets in modern cloud architectures, particularly those hosted in Azure, as they often expose sensitive data or core business functionality. Vulnerabilities in APIs can lead to severe consequences, such as data breaches or unauthorized access, impacting business operations and customer trust. For small businesses and managed service providers (MSPs), securing cloud-based APIs is challenging due to the complexity of Azure’s configuration settings, where misconfigurations are a leading cause of security incidents.

Canadian Cyber specializes in Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM), leveraging Azure’s native tools like Microsoft Defender for Cloud and Microsoft Security Benchmarks to assess and enhance API security. Our technical yet accessible approach ensures Canadian businesses can confidently secure their Azure-based APIs, aligning with industry best practices.

Understanding Azure API Security Posture

A. What to Secure in APIs

Securing APIs involves protecting multiple facets:

• Authentication and Authorization: Ensuring only authorized users or systems can access the API.
• Network Exposure: Controlling access to endpoints, ports, and services to minimize attack surfaces.
• Data Encryption: Enforcing encryption for data in transit and at rest.
• Monitoring: Detecting and responding to unusual activity, such as excessive API calls or unauthorized access attempts.

B. Azure Environment Components

A typical Azure-based API deployment includes:

• Azure API Management: Manages API gateways and policies.
• App Services/Functions: Hosts API logic and processing.
• Databases: Stores sensitive data (e.g., Azure SQL, Cosmos DB).
• Networking: Configures network security groups (NSGs), virtual networks (VNets), and firewalls.

A comprehensive security posture assessment must evaluate all these components to ensure end-to-end protection.

C. Common Risks and Misconfigurations

Common API security issues include:

• Allowing anonymous access to APIs.
• Failing to enforce HTTPS, exposing data to interception.
• Overly permissive Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS) settings.
• Exposed API keys or database connection strings in configuration files.

These risks highlight the need for a thorough security posture review to identify and address vulnerabilities.

Tools and Frameworks for Azure Security Posture

A. Microsoft Defender for Cloud

Microsoft Defender for Cloud is Azure’s built-in security monitoring solution, providing continuous assessment of resources. It generates a Secure Score based on compliance with security recommendations, helping organizations prioritize remediation efforts.

B. Azure Policy

Azure Policy enforces compliance by auditing and remediating configurations. For example, policies can ensure storage accounts use encryption or APIs enforce HTTPS. Policies can also auto-remediate non-compliant settings, reducing manual effort.

C. Microsoft Cloud Security Benchmark

The Microsoft Security Benchmark (formerly Azure Security Benchmark) provides a set of best-practice controls for securing Azure services. Covering identity, networking, data protection, and more, it serves as a baseline for secure configurations. Learn more at Microsoft Learn.

D. Integration of Tools

Defender for Cloud integrates with the Microsoft Security Benchmark and Azure Policy, mapping recommendations to benchmark controls and policy checks. Canadian Cyber leverages this integrated approach to deliver comprehensive API security assessments.

Canadian Cyber’s Assessment Process for Azure APIs

A. Scoping and Inventory

Canadian Cyber collaborates with clients to identify all API-related Azure resources, including API Management instances, back-end services, databases, and Key Vaults. This ensures the assessment covers the entire API ecosystem.

B. Defender for Cloud Review

We enable or review Defender for Cloud on the client’s Azure subscription, analyzing findings related to API resources. High-risk recommendations, such as enabling authentication on API endpoints or encrypting SQL databases, are prioritized.

C. Benchmark Compliance Check

Using the Microsoft Security Benchmark as a checklist, our analysts evaluate the API environment against relevant controls. This includes verifying network security groups against networking controls and identity settings against IAM controls, leveraging Azure Policy’s compliance center for insights.

D. Azure Policy Auditing

If not already implemented, we deploy Azure Policy initiatives, such as the Azure Security Benchmark policy set, to assess compliance. This provides a compliance score and identifies non-compliant configurations, like unencrypted endpoints or missing logging.

E. Manual Configuration Review

Beyond automated scans, Canadian Cyber experts manually review API configurations for business logic, Azure AD app registrations, and firewall settings. This contextual analysis ensures robust access controls and secure configurations.

Identifying Exposures and Misconfigurations

A. Summary of Findings

Post-assessment, Canadian Cyber compiles key security issues, such as publicly accessible APIs without network restrictions or databases with weak firewall rules.

B. Risk Rating

Findings are categorized by severity:

Critical: Misconfigurations exposing APIs or data to the internet.

Low: Minor compliance deviations, like missing resource tags.

This prioritization guides remediation efforts.

C. Use of Defender Alerts

For clients with advanced Defender for Cloud modules (e.g., Defender for APIs or App Service), we review alerts for suspicious API activity or known attack patterns, providing insights into active threats.

D. Client Involvement

We engage with the client’s IT team to explain findings, ensuring they understand risks, such as how weak API authentication could allow unauthorized data access.

Remediation Strategies

A. Implementing Azure Security Controls

For each issue, we provide targeted fixes, such as:

• Enforcing HTTPS on APIs allowing HTTP.
• Integrating API Management with Azure Virtual Networks or Azure Firewall for network restrictions.

B. Applying Azure Policies

We deploy Azure Policy definitions to prevent recurring misconfigurations, such as requiring encryption or enabling diagnostic logging on API services.

C. Improving Identity and Access

For weak identity controls, we recommend:

• Using Azure AD for API authentication.
• Storing secrets in Azure Key Vault.
• Implementing managed identities instead of static credentials.

D. Defender for Cloud Hardening

We enable relevant Defender for Cloud plans (e.g., Defender for App Service or SQL) for enhanced protections, advising on cost-benefit for small businesses.

E. Guidance and Implementation Support

Canadian Cyber provides hands-on support, assisting with policy configuration or collaborating with developers to update API settings securely.

Continuous Monitoring and Compliance

A. Azure Secure Score Tracking

Canadian Cyber establishes processes to monitor the Azure Secure Score and compliance dashboard, enabling clients to track improvements and address gaps.

B. Regular Posture Assessments

We recommend quarterly posture reviews to include new APIs or Azure services, ensuring ongoing alignment with security benchmarks.

C. Training and Knowledge Transfer

We train client IT staff on Defender for Cloud and Azure Policy, empowering them to manage routine monitoring between assessments.

D. Managed CSPM Service

For clients without dedicated security teams, Canadian Cyber offers ongoing CSPM management, overseeing configurations, responding to alerts, and ensuring alignment with evolving benchmarks.

Conclusion

A strong cloud security posture is critical for organizations deploying APIs on Azure, reducing risks of data leaks and service disruptions. Azure’s powerful tools Defender for Cloud, Azure Policy, and Microsoft Security Benchmarks require expertise to maximize their value. Canadian Cyber’s professional guidance enables Canadian businesses to deploy and manage Azure-based APIs confidently, with configurations vetted against industry standards. This peace of mind empowers innovation in the cloud while prioritizing security.

• Share the blog on: