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Learning Track · 14 modules

API Security Deep Dive

OWASP API Top 10, JWT/OAuth, GraphQL, rate limiting, gateways and zero-trust at scale.

Why this track

OWASP API Top 10, JWT/OAuth, GraphQL, rate limiting, gateways and zero-trust at scale. This track walks you from fundamentals through advanced techniques across 14 practitioner modules — the same body of knowledge senior security professionals build over years, structured for self-paced progression with India-specific context throughout.

Prerequisite: See module 1 for entry context. Most modules are self-contained but follow the suggested sequence for best results.
14
Modules
11.2 h
Total time
14
Free modules
∞
Quiz retries
Difficulty mix
Beginner · 1 Intermediate · 8 Advanced · 4 Expert · 1

Module sequence

M1
OWASP API Security Top 10 (2023)
Walk through every API risk in the 2023 OWASP API Top 10 with concrete examples and remediation patterns.
Beginner 60 min →
M2
API Authentication & Authorization Patterns
JWT pitfalls, OAuth flows for APIs, session management, mTLS, RBAC vs ABAC vs ReBAC, authz testing at scale.
Intermediate 90 min →
M4
Rate Limiting & API Abuse Prevention
Algorithms (token bucket, sliding window), enforcement layers, Redis Lua patterns, abuse patterns and defenses.
Advanced 120 min →
M5
API Gateways & Zero-Trust at Scale
Kong, Apigee, AWS API Gateway, service mesh (Istio, Linkerd), zero-trust architecture, observability stack.
Expert 150 min →
M6
API Discovery & Inventory
Why this module. Most enterprises have 30-60% more APIs than their security team knows about. Shadow APIs (unauthorised), zombie APIs (deprecated but still listening), partner APIs nobody documented. Each is an attacker’s entry point. The four classes of unknown APIs Shadow API — not on your inventory, exposed anyway. Often a developer’s “quick fix” that […]
Intermediate 25 →
M7
API Versioning & Deprecation Security
Why this module. Old API versions are where security debt accumulates. v1 was insecure by 2019 standards; it’s still serving 5% of traffic in 2026 because retiring it requires customer coordination. Most teams underestimate the security cost of supporting old versions. Versioning patterns URL versioning — /v1/users vs /v2/users. Visible, easy to route. Most common. […]
Intermediate 20 →
M8
mTLS for API-to-API Authentication
Why this module. “Service A authenticates to service B with an API key in a header” — the dominant pattern, and the source of breaches when keys leak. mTLS replaces shared secrets with cryptographic identity. Operationally harder; cryptographically much stronger. Why bearer tokens fail Tokens leak via logs, errors, screenshots. Rotation requires coordination. Compromise window […]
Advanced 30 →
M9
API Logging & Anomaly Detection
Why this module. APIs generate massive log volume; most teams collect it and never query it. Anomaly detection at the API layer catches account takeover, scraping, and business-logic abuse that WAFs miss. What to log per API call Timestamp, request ID Authenticated user / API key Source IP, ASN, country Method + path + query […]
Intermediate 25 →
M10
WebAuthn & Passkeys for APIs
Why this module. Phishing-resistant auth is the only auth that holds up against modern proxy-phishing attacks (EvilGinx and similar). WebAuthn / Passkeys are the standard. Apple, Google, Microsoft all default-support; Indian banks are following. Why TOTP isn’t enough anymore EvilGinx-style proxy phishing intercepts the TOTP at login time. User enters TOTP on phishing page → […]
Intermediate 25 →
M11
API Mocking & Contract Testing
Why this module. APIs evolve; consumers break. Contract testing catches it before production. From a security view, contract testing also catches “we accidentally exposed an internal field” and “auth was removed from this endpoint.” Two patterns Schema-first — OpenAPI spec is the contract. Validate every request/response. Consumer-driven (Pact) — consumers declare expectations; provider validates them. […]
Intermediate 20 →
M12
SDKs as Attack Surface
Why this module. If you publish an SDK (Python, JS, mobile native), attackers analyse it to learn about your API’s structure, undocumented endpoints, and assumptions. Plus: SDK becomes part of customer’s supply chain — your bugs become their problems. The SDK threat model Attacker reverse-engineers SDK to learn API structure Attacker finds hardcoded endpoints, debug […]
Intermediate 20 →
M13
API Penetration Testing Methodology
Why this module. API pentesting is different from web app pentesting. Less UI, more state, more business logic. The OWASP API Top 10 maps the bug classes; this module is the methodology to find them. The phases Enumeration — find every endpoint. OpenAPI specs, browser inspection, app traffic captures, mobile app reverse engineering. Auth model […]
Advanced 30 →
M14
API DDoS & Bot Mitigation
Why this module. APIs are bot magnets. Credential stuffing against /login, scraping of /products, account creation abuse, comment spam. Volumetric DDoS is solved at the edge; L7 abuse is a per-API battle. Bot patterns by endpoint /login — credential stuffing, brute force /signup — fake account creation for fraud / spam /api/search — scraping / […]
Intermediate 25 →
M15
API Security in Microservices Mesh
Why this module. Most API-security advice covers north-south (internet to API). In microservices, east-west traffic (service to service) is 10x more volume and often less protected. Compromise one service, lateral movement to others. The trust model that fails “Internal services trust each other; auth happens at the edge.” Once an attacker is inside (via vuln […]
Advanced 30 →

Common questions about this track

How long will this track take me? +

Most learners finish in 4-8 weeks at a sustainable 4-5 hours per week. Modules are self-paced so you can move faster or slower as life allows.

Do I need prior experience? +

Module 1 sets the entry baseline. The first module is always free; if it feels approachable, the track is for you.

Will this prepare me for industry certifications? +

Most modules align with the body of knowledge tested by senior security certifications. The Academy is not a cert-prep course but produces working knowledge that transfers to any cert exam in the same domain.

Ready to start?

Begin with Module 1. Work through at your own pace. Free modules require no signup — everything else unlocks with a free RingSafe Academy account.

Start Module 1 → View pricing tiers 🗺️ Explore Skill Map