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Introduction
Everyone wants to grow, launch new integrations, offer more digital services. But in the midst of this hurry, few people to ask themselves: who is watching all this?
By 2023, over 70% of ransomware attacks found the door open precisely in exposed or poorly monitored APIs , according to Salt Security 's State of Api . And it's not difficult to understand why. Each microservice created, every data that travels between applications, every customer login - everything goes through Apis. If there is no clear way to control who accesses what, when and how, what should be efficiency can become a dangerous breach .
That's where the API Gateway . Beyond request router, it organizes , protects and causes traffic to work safely, even when the architecture grows nonstop.
In this article, we want to tell you why so many companies are still vulnerable without an API Gateway , and show how to use this layer to climb, protect and simplify your operation without making room for unpleasant surprises.
Enjoy the read!
Why do modern architectures need an API Gateway ?
The way we build systems has changed - and there is no return. Few projects today are born as unique, isolated blocks. The default is to grow by adding modules, plugging in partner applications and expanding integrations, all without interrupting the operation.
This flexibility is what makes companies more agile, but also creates a point of attention: the more connections, the more input points . And where there are many accesses circulating without coordination, it is not long before gaps that put data and services at risk .
It is precisely in this scenario that the Gateway API has become a key piece to keep everything running in an organized and safe way .
To understand why this is no exaggeration, just look closely look like microservices and cloud computing have changed the way to build and protect modern architectures.
Microservices and cloud computing
The idea of “breaking systems in smaller pieces” gave teams freedom to launch new features without rewriting everything from scratch. This approach, microservices, today is already part of the reality of 77% of organizations , according to O'Reilly 's State of Microservices .
In parallel, the cloud eliminated physical boundaries. According to Flexera 2024 State of the Cloud , 89% of companies operate in multicloud or hybrid . The result: more scalability, more integrations, and more APIs open 24 hours a day.
All of this supports growth, but without a point of control, it can become a maze of requests, credentials and transit sensitive data. Gateway API makes all the difference: it does not block the evolution of architecture, but rather organizes for each route to exist safely, with clear rules .
Now that we understand our current context, it's time to detail what an API Gateway , how it organizes all this in practice to protect and climb with confidence.
What is an API Gateway and how it works
When a company expands its services, APIs multiply to account for integrations, new channels and data that need to circulate all the time. The problem is that without a point that focuses on these calls, each connection becomes an independent door , and managing it separately is a recipe for losing control.
The Gateway API solves this puzzle creating a central point of passage. Every request from the inside or outside crosses it before reaching internal services. It is at this stage that it is defined who is asking for what, can be accessed and in what format the answer needs to leave.
The big difference from an exposed API directly is precisely this centralization. Without the Gateway API , each service needs to deal with credentials, access limits, abusive use blocks, multiplying effort, time and margin of error.
Having an API Gateway works like a condominium concierge: everything circulates, but no one enters or leaves without registration . And, contrary to popular belief, it doesn't cast the flow. In fact, it creates a solid base to climb more safely and predictable.
In practice, there are different types of Gateway , each focused and specific resources. Some common examples include:
- AWS API Gateway Amazon Managed Service serverless architectures cloud microservices ;
- Kong Open Source solution , widely used by those who need flexibility and plugins to customize security controls;
- APIGEE ( Google ) : Combines API management with monitoring and use analysis features;
- NGINX : Light and reliable server, which also acts as a gateway for routing, proxy and balancing;
- Azure API Management Microsoft platform aimed at controlling, publishing and monitoring APIs in hybrid environments.
More important than the tool name is Gateway API is well configured, monitored and aligned with the security strategy . There is no point in having the right technology without governance.
Now that we understand what an API Gateway , how it works and what options there are, let's see what keeps it all running well on practice - and why it directly impacts growth without breaches.
API Gateway in Practice: How it works and what you deliver
So far, we've seen why the Gateway exists. But what does he do in practice to ensure that everything works without friction? It is at this point that theory and reality are, after all, their functions go far beyond just “let or block” requests .
A good Gateway takes care of tasks that, without it, would end up scattered in each service, consuming team time and making room for failures that no one wants to manage later.
Let's look first at these functions, and then understand what they deliver real value to those who need safety, control and efficiency without waging growth.
Main functions
Having apis exposed is inevitable in modern architectures. What you don't give is to expose each point without knowing who accesses, how you access it and what you do inside. This is where the Gateway plays a strategic role: it brings together tasks that, if they were spread, would make room for errors, rework and costs that only grow over time.
In practice, its main functions include:
- Intelligent Requests Routing : It directs each call to the right service or microservice without overloading endpoints ;
- Centralized Authentication and Authorization : Valida Credentials of Users, Partners or Devices, ensuring that only those who have permission can access;
- Traffic control ( Rate Limiting and Throttling ) : limits the volume of requests, blocks automatic abuse and protects overload features;
- Load balancing : Distributes the data flow between servers or clusters to maintain performance even on access peaks;
- Transformation of Requests and Responses : Adapts formats, rewrite URLs, translates protocols when necessary, without forcing changes in legacy systems;
- Monitoring, logs and audit : records each interaction, generates reports and facilitates suspected failures or behaviors.
When these functions are in the right place, the Gateway is no longer just a “data pass” to become a discreet , but fundamental command center for architecture to remain scalable, safe and easy to maintain
MAIN BUSINESS BENEFITS
In practice, the functions of the Gateway translate into much more than organized technical operation. For the business, this means escaping from improvisation , gaining visibility about what happens at each entry point and creating space to evolve without fear of opening loopholes or losing performance.
The main benefits of having this well -structured layer include:
- Reinforced safety in one point : reduces exposure of unmistakable APIs, which are still targeted by ransomware and fraud attacks;
- Centralized governance : defines access, authentication and authorization policies in a standardized manner, instead of letting each microservice resolve on its own;
- Failure isolation : Punctual problems do not overthrow everything, for example, an isolated incident is contained where it arose;
- Stable performance on any scale : traffic balancing and limitation avoid bottlenecks that overthrow the user experience;
- Real operational visibility : logs , reports and tracking help prevent abuse and make data based on data;
- Scalability without rework : New APIs, partners or integrations can be plugged without rewriting basic control rules;
- Indirect Cost Reduction : Less time lost with emergency corrections and less risk of expensive stops or leaks.
In the end, we can say that the Gateway acts as growth insurance : it does not lock innovation, but it protects it so that it advances with less surprises, more predictability and much more tranquility.
However, applying all this in practice requires looking beyond technology. For this, you need to have a partner who understands strategy, operation and governance, from end to end - role that Skyone has taken on projects of all sizes.
How skyone supports apis management
A Gateway is just the beginning. The real challenge appears later: to keep everything adjusted, monitored and aligned with the growth strategy, without overloading the technical team .
At Skyone , we understand that Apis governance is not just technology. It is a living routine that needs to work every day, without surprises. Therefore, we combine consolidated tools such as Kong , with its own layer of management, technical support and real -time monitoring.
Our focus is to take the weight of the fragmented specialty. Instead of each team spending time dominating a different brand, we created an interface that abstracts complexity . Thus, security policies, traffic control and visibility are centralized, ready to grow along with the operation.
More than keeping everything safe, we help our customers connect operation and strategy . Each API is no longer an isolated point to become part of a living architecture. Ready to evolve with agility, but without giving up safety and predictability.
Want to see this really happening? We have frameworks , real cases and a team ready to show the best way, without complicating those who already have a lot to manage. Talk today to one of our experts and we will find the best solution for you!
Conclusion
Open apis, microservices, cloud… None of this will slow down. And that is what makes the Gateway API so decisive for those who do not want to open breaches by carelessness .
More than a technical filter: As we have seen throughout this content, API Gateway is the point where control, security and strategy are to keep data, integrations and partners circulating without scares.
Each function that the Gateway runs saves hours of rework and protects the failure business that no one wants to pay to correct later. And each benefit reinforces confidence to grow, integrate new partners , or launch new products , without locking those who take care of everyday life.
But it is not enough to have the right mark or the most famous type. What makes true difference is to have living governance , clear processes and an operation that does not depend on manual adjustments or rare experts. This is what separates those who only react from those who grow safely and predictability.
It's up to here and want to understand how it connects with data management, another key piece to keep everything running in an organized way? It is worth taking a look at another article of our blog : "Data governance: what is and why it is important for your business .
FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions about API Gateway
Even if your business already uses APIs every day, it is normal to have questions about how an API Gateway ; When it is really necessary and what changes in practice by adopting this control layer.
To help, we have separated some direct answers here to guide those who are deciding how to protect integrations, microservices and data in circulation.
What is the difference between API Gateway and Load Balancer ?
Generally, API Gateway and Load Balancer are compared because both deal with the flow of requests within an architecture. However, each one acts in a different way and at different levels.
Load Balance is not an API, but an infrastructure piece that distributes traffic between servers or equal services, avoiding overload on one point. It acts as a “screening counter” that ensures that everyone receives demands in a balanced way. Gateway API works beyond this distribution. It authenticates and authorizes access, filters and routes requests, applies Rate Limiting and centralizes logs and monitoring.
In other words, while Load Balancer takes care of balance the volume, the Gateway organizes who can access what, safely and standardized.
Gateway API protect my business from ransomware ?
Although an API Gateway is not an antivirus solution or firewall , it plays an essential role in preventing attacks.
Many ransomware explore exposed apis, poorly monitored or without standardized authentication. The gateway avoids this by creating unique control points, with clear access rules, strong authentication and record of everything it traffic. That is: it reduces the attack surface, blocks abuse and helps identify suspicious behaviors, complementing other layers of safety.
Should small companies also use an API Gateway ?
Yes. The size of the operation does not change the risk of having too open or poorly managed APIs. Even smaller businesses, which use microservices or integrate with partners, can benefit from gateway to centralize traffic, authentication and traffic control without having to create manual filters in each service.
In addition, Gateway helps standardize practices that facilitate growth, avoiding rework when the operation evolves or new APIs are launched.
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