Akamai Technologies‘s API security product has achieved the latest (version 4.0) Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) compliance, showing the company’s commitment to implementing best-in-class practices. In this episode, Rupesh Chokshi, Senior Vice President and General Manager for Application Security at Akamai, talks about the company’s latest announcement and the company’s significant growth rate in customer adoption. He goes on to discuss the key challenges customers are facing and how Akamai’s solutions are helping to address these challenges. He says, “You’re constantly figuring out how to get better and better because the bad guys are always finding ways to attack.”

API security product’s PCI DSS compliance and its importance for customers

• Akamai’s API security product received PCI DSS compliance and Chokshi explains some of the focuses of API security including discovery, posture, runtime detection, and mitigation or protection for the APIs.
• APIs are essential for today’s digital and interconnected world. He talks about industries like healthcare and finance and the emerging threat landscape from vulnerabilities related to APIs.
• Chokshi discusses how one of their retail customers’ loyalty points is being targeted by attackers who exploit API vulnerabilities. He discusses how this results in the fraudulent use of the loyalty points which leads to financial losses.
• Chokshi highlights the significance of PCI DSS compliance especially when handling sensitive data like credit card information and how Akamai’s PCI DSS compliance demonstrates its commitment to best-in-class practices.

API security for various industries, including financial services, commerce, travel, and hospitality, with a focus on the growth of cybersecurity threats

• Chokshi discusses the various industries that rely on common API security products, going into depth about the financial, commerce, and travel industries.
• Chokshi talks about how cybersecurity professionals drive industries like the financial industry to embrace new tools and techniques to improve their security posture.

API security threats and Akamai’s growth in addressing the demand

• Some of Akamai customers’ key API security concerns are not knowing the full extent of their security vulnerabilities. Chokshi emphasizes that the discovery and visibility of APIs are crucial to understanding and managing security risks.
• Chokshi discusses the importance of posture assessment and risk profiling and the need to implement runtime detection protections. He talks about the native connector in Akamai’s solution and how it is helping customers with this.
• Akamai’s State of the Internet report revealed that almost 30% of web attacks targeted APIs. Traditional security does not adequately address these evolving threats and specific API security solutions need to be developed.

API security, ease of use, and integrations for customer needs

• Chokshi talks about Akamai’s significant growth rate in customer adoption, attributing it to the evolving threat landscape, the effectiveness of Akamai’s solutions, and their focus on ease of use and integration.
• Chokshi discusses the importance of partnerships with other industry players and technical alliances to enhance Akamai’s offerings and help meet customer demands effectively.
• Balancing the adoption of new technologies with maintaining security standards is a key challenge for CISOs. Akamai’s platform approach which aims to provide cohesive solutions across their portfolio helps to address this problem.

Guest: Rupesh Chokshi (LinkedIn)
Company: Akamai (Twitter)
Show: Newsroom

This summary was written by Emily Nicholls.