5 ways APIs can be the weak link in supply chain security

This article examines how APIs have become a critical yet vulnerable link in software supply chains, citing research that 78% of organizations experienced API incidents and 51% suffered customer impact. It highlights five key risk areas—third-party dependencies, sensitive data exposure, expanded attack surface, authentication/authorization weaknesses, and vulnerabilities that can mask or enable supply chain attacks—illustrated by examples such as Accellion FTA and SolarWinds Serv-U. Experts warn about unknown/rogue APIs and mobile app exposure, note that OpenAPI offers guidance but is insufficient alone, and call for stronger standards, better tooling, and greater collaboration to secure APIs across the ecosystem.