Key Takeaways:
- Application programming interfaces (APIs) are a crucial part of modern technology and will become an even larger target for cyberattacks in 2026.
- The rise of agentic AI will lead to a surge in the number of APIs, making it difficult for organizations to keep track of them and increasing the attack surface.
- Attackers will use AI to automate reconnaissance, probe API endpoints, and execute campaigns at machine scale, making attacks more effective and difficult to detect.
- Securing APIs will require a multi-layered approach, including continuous visibility, behavioral analytics, context-driven access, intelligent automation, and developer-native testing.
- The use of AI will create new challenges for API security, including agent-to-agent communication vulnerabilities and the potential for AI-powered attacks to bypass traditional security measures.
Introduction to API Security
The increasing importance of application programming interfaces (APIs) in modern technology has made them a prime target for cyberattacks. According to experts, APIs have become the connective tissue of modern technology, with approximately 83% of internet traffic flowing through them. As a result, APIs are now the top target for web-based attacks, with weak authentication, business logic flaws, and misconfigurations providing paths for attackers to access sensitive data.
The Expanding API Attack Surface
The rise of agentic AI is fueling a rapid proliferation of APIs, as these systems generate massive, dynamic, and unpredictable requests across enterprise applications and cloud services. This has created a new API boom, with the number of APIs increasing exponentially, making it difficult for organizations to keep track of them. The expanding API attack surface is a major concern, as it provides attackers with more opportunities to exploit vulnerabilities and gain access to sensitive data. Experts warn that the lack of visibility and control over APIs will become a significant security risk, with most enterprises unable to answer basic questions about their API endpoints, credentials, and permissions.
Attacking APIs in 2026
The increasing use of agentic AI will make APIs an even more attractive target for attackers. Experts warn that attackers will use AI to automate reconnaissance, probe API endpoints, and execute campaigns at machine scale, making attacks more effective and difficult to detect. The use of AI will also create new challenges for API security, including agent-to-agent communication vulnerabilities and the potential for AI-powered attacks to bypass traditional security measures. Additionally, the Model Context Protocol (MCP) introduced by Anthropic in 2024, has provided productivity advantages, but also impacts API security issues, aggravated by the rising incidence of shadow MCP.
The AI-Powered Attack Surface
The use of AI will create a new layer of complexity in API security, with attackers using AI to automate attacks and defenders needing to use AI to defend against them. Experts warn that the AI-powered attack surface will span three distinct layers, each requiring specialized defenses. The data/model layer, prompt/tooling layer, and API/systems layer will all be vulnerable to attacks, with threats including model extraction, policy cloning, API abuse, and polymorphic malware generation. The use of AI will also create new challenges for API security, including the potential for AI-powered attacks to bypass traditional security measures.
Securing APIs in the Age of AI
Securing APIs in the age of AI will require a multi-layered approach, including continuous visibility, behavioral analytics, context-driven access, intelligent automation, and developer-native testing. Experts warn that traditional security tools will not be sufficient to protect APIs, and that a new generation of API protection is needed. This will require a combination of technical and non-technical measures, including identity governance, permission rightsizing, behavioral monitoring, and rapid response capability. Additionally, experts recommend replacing MCP Servers with security posture management (SPM) servers to improve API security.
Final Thoughts
The security of APIs is a complex and ongoing challenge, and the use of AI will only add to the complexity. Experts warn that APIs will become the most valuable and vulnerable element of digital infrastructure, with API traffic surging beyond human oversight and exposing new pathways for exploitation. The problem of API security is part of the great conundrum of the Age of Artificial Intelligence, with enterprise developing and deploying AI for increased business efficiency, while attackers develop and deploy AI for increased attack efficiency. As a result, cybersecurity defenders will need to develop and deploy additional AI to defend enterprise AI from bad actor AI, while simultaneously further increasing the attack surface.
