Future-gazing: How API Security Will Evolve in 2025

Who doesn’t love a little glimpse into the future? For cybersecurity—and more specifically, API security - gazing into the magic crystal ball may not strictly be necessary. But there are definite trends that will evolve for 2025 and make API security even more of an imperative for modern businesses. Here are our top five:

More AI and Machine Learning

With APIs becoming critical in connecting services, AI-powered tools will be essential to handle the scale and sophistication of attacks Therefore, AI and machine learning (ML) tools will play a central role in detecting and mitigating API threats, identifying anomalies, and analyzing large volumes of traffic for signs of misuse or attacks.

Salt is already at the forefront of using AI and ML to enhance its platform with the addition of Pepper in 2024, the first AI‑powered knowledge‑based assistant for API Security.

Attackers turn to API abuse and Misuse

As APIs are used for everything from financial services to healthcare, attackers will target their legitimate functionalities for malicious purposes and API abuse (e.g., data scraping, bot attacks) will surpass traditional vulnerabilities as the primary threat.

API Regulations and Compliance Ramp Up

The increasing number of API-related breaches will force regulatory action to protect sensitive data and systems. As such, governments and industry bodies will introduce more stringent regulations requiring organizations to implement API security measures, akin to GDPR or CCPA.

Salt’s platform allows organizations to prioritize various compliance and regulatory guidelines and highlights which APIs need attention to remain compliant or could be most at risk.

Supply Chain and Third-Party API Risks will Increase

Dependency on third-party APIs for services like payments or analytics creates a larger attack surface. As more services and processes are digitalized, third-party APIs will become a significant focus as attackers exploit vulnerabilities in connected ecosystems.

Shadow and Zombie APIs Loom over Organizations

Shadow APIs, or undocumented/unmanaged APIs, are a growing blind spot for organizations, leading to potential breaches. As are zombie APIs which are inactive but still accessible. Therefore, tools for discovering and managing shadow APIs (unaccounted-for APIs) will become essential in enterprise security strategies.

At Salt, we pride ourselves on forward thinking and continuously developing our technologies to safeguard our customers now and into the future. To find out how, why not schedule a demo?