Akamai's API Security attains PCI DSS 4.0 compliance

Akamai Technologies has announced that its API Security product has achieved the latest 4.0 version compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). Specific requisites pertinent to APIs have been included as an integral part of this process. This compliance development signifies well-placed security measures for organisations that store, process, or transmit credit card information. APIs play a substantial role in PCI DSS compliance, considering the sensitive cardholder data they handle and the facilitation of payment processing they perform.

Since the acquisition of Neosec, this cloud-based company has seen a surge in demand for its API Security, outlining an over 200% increase since the product's launch in August of 2023. This positive trend is credited to the introduction of a native connector feature that permits production deployment merely in minutes. Additionally, the ability for API Security to block threats instantly using the App & API Protector, as well as offering compatibility for deployment across leading WAAP and API gateway platforms, has attracted customer interest. Furthermore, Akamai's API Security operates faultlessly in conjunction with other tools, such as Apiiro's ASPM offering, enabling organisations to 'shift left'.

According to Akamai's recent State of the Internet report, almost one-third of web attacks target APIs, underlining the critical importance of API security. The report states that customers spanning multiple industries, from hospitality to retail, laud Akamai's API Security for its effectiveness, user-friendliness, and real-time monitoring capabilities. They cite its role in improving their operational security and user experience.

Clal Insurance and Finance, a prominent insurance and savings company, utilises APIs to propel innovation. The company's CTO, Haim Inger, selected Akamai API Security for its performance and ease of use. "We didn't need to do anything to understand the state of our API estate. After ingesting tokenised data about our APIs, the Akamai solution automatically delivered insights into what needed to be fixed and how to fix it," he explained.

Additional customer feedback from Gartner Peer Insights includes positive remarks on Akamai's real-time monitoring, efficient control over API usage, effective threat-mitigating capabilities, and user-friendly solutions for securing APIs in modern applications. Furthermore, the company's adherence to industry standards and regulations, offering a secure and compliant API environment, is applauded.

Rupesh Chokshi, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Application Security at Akamai, asserted, "Based on customer inputs, it's clear that the importance of API security continues to grow as organisations rely more and more on APIs to run their enterprise. Akamai's PCI DSS compliant API Security provides organisations the ability to monitor API behaviour in any platform or gateway to ensure that businesses are running smoothly and securely."