The request hits your desk: secure developer access to your REST API, without slowing down delivery. There is no room for guesswork. Every endpoint is a potential attack surface. Every token is a key someone could steal.
REST API security starts with strict authentication. Use OAuth 2.0 or OpenID Connect, never homegrown solutions. Keep tokens short-lived and refresh them often. Rotate credentials on a schedule. Disable unused keys immediately. Enforce TLS everywhere. No exceptions.
Authorization must be explicit. Role-based access control (RBAC) gives precision. Combine it with attribute-based rules for sensitive data. Never trust the client to decide what is allowed. Apply checks server-side, at every request.
Input validation is non-negotiable. Sanitize fields against SQL injection, XSS, and unexpected data types. Log validation failures with enough detail to trace issues, but never expose stack traces in client responses.
Rate limiting protects against brute force and misuse. Implement per-user and per-IP caps. Link limits to suspicious behavior detection. When limits are hit, respond with clear status codes and audit the incident for patterns.