Logging and monitoring are two important practices that help you protect your APIs and spot security issues early.

Logging means recording important events and actions that happen when users or systems interact with your API. These records, called logs, can help you understand what happened if something goes wrong or if you need to investigate suspicious activity.

Monitoring is the process of watching your API in real time to detect unusual behavior, errors, or threats. By keeping an eye on these activities, you can quickly respond to problems and prevent attacks before they cause damage.

When you use logging and monitoring together, you make your API much safer. You can spot security risks, fix problems faster, and ensure that your API is running smoothly.

How API Gateways Track and Protect Your APIs

API Gateways play a key role in keeping your APIs safe and reliable. They act as watchful gatekeepers, tracking every request that comes in and every response that goes out. Here is how they help you:

• Record each request and response, including details like the time, the path accessed, and the status code;
• Monitor traffic patterns to spot unusual behavior, such as repeated failed logins or a sudden spike in requests;
• Alert you when something suspicious happens, like someone trying to access a restricted endpoint;
• Help you quickly identify problems, such as slow response times or errors, by providing clear logs and summaries;
• Support threat response by letting you block or limit traffic from sources that look dangerous.

Example:

Suppose someone tries to access a private API endpoint without permission. The API Gateway logs this request, notes that it was unauthorized, and can automatically alert you. If the same person keeps trying, the Gateway can block their access temporarily. This helps you stay ahead of potential threats and keep your API secure.