SYSTEMS: APIs - open or closed - are becoming a mainstay of the travel industry. But security considerations are rarely mentioned and mismanagement of APIs is a serious concern, both for the reputation of the provider and its partners. READ MORE on ReadWrite.
Mobile devices has created huge demand for Application Programming Interfaces (API) to act as data gateways between devices and services.
But that need can hurt application performance, alienate developers and even lead to costly and damaging data breaches.
Among other things, APIs serve as gateways to Web-based services like Twitter or Facebook. They are the specifications that let developers build applications that communicate directly with those services.
Think of APIs as doors; they let data in and out of a Web service. Just like physical doors, leaving APIs open can let anyone wander in, for whatever purpose.
Therein lies the danger.
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NB: Open door image via Shutterstock.