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REST API
Authentication
Methods
Unlock the Power of REST
APIs with Secure and
Reliable Authentication
Methods
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Diagram
Authentication
Who you are
Authorization
What you can do
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Authentication
Authentication is the process of
proving that you are who you say
you are. It is the process of proving
your identity.
Example
An employee can enter the office if their
identity is verified using an ID card.
Authorization
Authorization is the process of
determining what actions you
are allowed to take based on
your identity and permissions.
Example
An employee may be allowed into the office
but may not be allowed into the server
room.
In summary, authentication refers to proving correct identity and
authorization refers to allowing a certain action. An API might
authenticate you but not authorize you to make a certain request.
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Authentication
Methods
Basic and Beare
API Key
OAuth (2.0
OpenID Connect
These are the four most
common Authentication
Methods
Let us now take a closer
look at them
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Basic Authentication
HTTP Basic Authentication is rarely
recommended due to its inherent
security vulnerabilities.
This is the most straightforward method
and the easiest. With this method, the
sender places a username:password into
the request header.
Example of a Basic Auth in
a request header
Authorization: Basic bG9sOnNlY3VyZQ==
The username and password are encoded
with Base64, which is an encoding
technique that converts the username
and password into a set of 64 characters
to ensure safe transmission.
This method does not require cookies, session IDs, login pages, and
other such specialty solutions, and because it uses the HTTP header
itself, there’s no need to handshakes or other complex response
systems.
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Bearer Authentication
Bearer authentication (also called
token authentication) is an HTTP
authentication scheme that involves
security tokens called bearer tokens.
Bearer authentication refers to a method of
granting access to a specific resource or URL
by presenting a bearer token. This token, often
a complex string generated by a server upon
receiving a login request, serves as
authorization for the bearer to access the The client must send this
token in the
specified resource. In other words, the name Authorization header
“bearer authentication" can be interpreted as when making requests to
protected resources:
granting access to whoever possesses the
designated token.
Authorization: Bearer <token>
Bearer authentication was first introduced in OAuth 2.0 through the
RFC-6750. It can also be used independently from OAuth. Like Basic
authentication, Bearer authentication should only be utilized with
HTTPS (SSL) for secure communication.
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API Keys
A unique value is created and
assigned to each first-time user in
this method as a way of identifying
them. This value serves as a marker
that indicates the user is known.
API keys were introduced as a solution to
the authentication problems that were
present in earlier systems such as HTTP
Basic Authentication.
When a user tries to access the system again, they
must provide a unique key to prove their identity. This
key may be generated based on the user's hardware
and IP data, or it may be randomly generated by the
server that recognizes the user. The purpose of this
key is to confirm that the user is the same individual
who was previously granted access to the system.
API keys are a common standard in the industry, but they should not be
considered a strong security measure. Despite their widespread use, it is
important to consider alternative measures to ensure the security of sensitive
information.
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API Keys - Diagram
REST API API Key
Request Header
{“api-key” : “9038-20380-9398”}
Application
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API Keys
API keys are often included in the
query string of URLs, making it
easier for unauthorized
individuals to discover and access
them.
Avoid including API keys or other
sensitive information in query string
parameters. Instead, consider placing
the API key in the Authorization
Example
header for greater security.
Authorization: Apikey 1234567890abcdef
API keys often appear in various locations such as
Authorization Heade
Basic Aut
Body Dat
Custom Heade
Query String
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API Keys
API Keys are a useful tool because
they are easy to use. One identifier
is all that is needed, making them a
practical choice for certain
situations. Additionally, API Keys are
a valid option for a variety of
reasons.
For instance, if an API is limited
specifically in functionality where
“read” is the only possible command,
an API Key can be an adequate
solution. Without the need to edit,
modify, or delete, security is a lower
concern.
The problem, however, is that anyone who makes a request to a
service, transmits their key and in theory, this key can be picked up
just as easy as any network transmission, and if any point in the
entire network is insecure, the entire network is exposed.
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OAuth (2.0)
OAuth 2.0 is an effective way to identify
individual user accounts and provide the
appropriate permissions. When using this
method, a user logs into a system, which
prompts the request for authentication.
This request is typically in the form of a
token, which the user then sends to an
authentication server. The server then
either denies or grants the authentication
request.
The token is given to the user and then
passed on to the requester. The
requester can use the token to validate
its authenticity at any time and can use
it within a specific time frame and
scope. The token's age of validity is also
restricted.
This is fundamentally a much more secure and powerful system than the other
approaches, mainly because it allows for the establishment of scopes which can
provide access to different parts of the API service and since the token is
revoked after a certain time - makes it much harder to re-use by attackers.
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OAuth (2.0)
OAuth 2.0 is significantly simpler compared to
its predecessors, OAuth 1.0 and 1.0a. One of the
main improvements in OAuth 2.0 is the removal
of the requirement to sign every call with a
keyed hash. This simplifies the process
significantly compared to the previous
versions.
One or both of the following
tokens are often used in the Access Token
implementation of OAuth:
An access token is a type of key
that is sent to an application
through an API. This key allows
the application to access a user's
data. In some cases, access
tokens can have an expiration
Refresh Token date.
If an access token has expired, refresh tokens
can be used to retrieve a new one as part of an
OAuth flow. OAuth2 combines both authentication
and authorization, allowing for more precise
control over the scope and validity of the token.
This allows for more sophisticated security
measures to be implemented in the authorization
process.
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OAuth 2.0 Popular
Flows
The flows (also called grant types)
are scenarios an API client performs
to get an access token from the
authorization server. OAuth 2.0
provides several popular flows
suitable for different types of API
clients.
Some of the widely used flows are:
Authorization Cod
Implici
Resource Owner Passwor
Client Credentials
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Authorization Code
The most common flow, mostly used
for server-side and mobile web
applications. This flow is similar to
how users sign up into a web
application using their Facebook or
Google account.
Implicit
The client must obtain an access
token on their own in this flow. It is
useful in situations where the user's
credentials cannot be stored in the
client code as they may be
accessible to external parties. This
prevents the risk of the user's
credentials being compromised.
It is suitable for web, desktop, and mobile applications that
do not include any server component.
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Resource Owner
Password
To access this API, a user must
provide their login credentials
(username and password) as part of
the request. This method is only
suitable for trusted clients, such as
official applications released by the
API provider.
Client Credentials
This flow is designed for server-to-server
authentication and involves the client
application acting on its own behalf, rather
than representing an individual user. It is
used for authenticating communication
between servers.
This flow typically enables users to enter their login
information in the client app, allowing it to access resources
that are under the user's control.
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OpenID Connect
OpenID Connect is a protocol that allows
clients to verify the identity of an end-
user by utilizing OAuth 2.0 as a base
and adding an additional identity layer.
This process is completed through the
use of an authorization server, which
performs the necessary authentication.
It is also used to obtain basic profile
information about the end-user in an
interoperable and REST-like manner.
OpenID Connect allows a range of clients,
including Web-based, mobile, and
JavaScript clients, to request and
receive information about authenticated
sessions and end-users.
In technical terms, OpenID Connect specifies a RESTful HTTP API, using
JSON as a data format.
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OpenID Connect
The specification suite is
extensible, supporting optional
features such as encryption of
identity data, the discovery of
OpenID Providers, and session
management.
OpenID Connect defines a sign-
in flow that enables a client
application to authenticate a
user, and to obtain information
(or “claims") about that user,
such as the user name, email,
and so on.
User identity information is encoded in a secure JSON Web
Token (JWT), called ID token.
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JWT
JSON Web Tokens are an open,
industry-standard RFC 7519
method for representing claims
securely between two parties.
JWT allows you to decode, verify
and generate JWT. While JWT is a
standard it was developed by
Auth0, an API driven identity, and
authentication management
company.
OpenID Connect defines a discovery mechanism,
called OpenID Connect Discovery, where an
OpenID server publishes its metadata at a well-
known URL.
https://server.com/openid-configuration
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JWT
This URL returns a JSON
listing of the OpenID/OAuth
endpoints, supported scopes
and claims, public keys used
to sign the tokens, and other
details.
The clients can use this information
to construct a request to the
OpenID server. The field names and
values are defined in the OpenID
Connect Discovery Specification.
These are the 4 most used Authentication methods. Hope you
understood their working mechanism and use cases.
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Summary
OAuth 2.0 is the best choice for
most situations because it is easy
to use and provides strong
security. It also allows for
scalability, meaning it can be used
by many different providers at
once.
Additionally, OpenID Connect, which
is based on OAuth 2.0, is becoming
more popular. While API keys and
HTTP Authentication may be
appropriate in some cases, OAuth
2.0 offers more benefits and is a
good long-term investment due to its
built-in authorization capabilities.
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