Security best practices for API authentication?

We're designing a new API gateway and need recommendations for secure authentication methods. Should we use JWT, OAuth2, or API keys? How do we balance security with developer experience?

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Accepted answers

Karen A. Thomas

We implemented a hybrid approach that works well:

1. Authentication Options:
- OAuth 2.0 for user context
- API keys for service-to-service
- JWT for session management

2. Implementation:
- Auth0 for OAuth handling
- Redis for token blacklisting
- Rate limiting per key

3. Monitoring:
- Auth failure tracking
- Usage analytics
- Anomaly detection

All comments

Victorine Courtois

Security architect here. For modern APIs, implement OAuth 2.0 with JWT:

1. Authentication Flow:
- OAuth 2.0 for authorization
- JWTs for tokens
- Refresh token rotation

2. Security Measures:
- Short-lived access tokens
- Proper scope implementation
- Token revocation support

3. Developer Experience:
- Clear documentation
- SDK support
- Interactive examples

Karen A. Thomas

VanillaForums

After securing APIs for multiple fintech companies:

1. Essential Security Controls:
- TLS 1.3 enforcement
- Certificate pinning
- CORS policies
- Input validation

2. Access Control:
- Role-based access
- Resource-level permissions
- IP whitelisting option

3. Best Practices:
- Regular security audits
- Penetration testing
- Compliance monitoring
- Incident response plan

System

Nice explanation. Thank you very much, that helps tremendously.