Sports and Media Organization Case Study

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Sports and Media Organization

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Industry

Media

Employees

1,000+

Based in

USA

Digital platforms and applications are revolutionizing the sports and media industry through the power of APIs. These technological advancements are transforming the way live events are organized, promoted, and experienced, creating new opportunities for artists, event organizers, and audiences alike.

Through APIs, event information, updates, and ticket links can be seamlessly shared across various social media channels, increasing visibility and driving ticket sales. Moreover, APIs are transforming the on-site experience at live events. Integration with mobile applications and wearable devices enables interactive features such as personalized schedules, interactive maps, and real-time notifications.

It’s important to note, however, that the sensitive nature of data and transactions involved in the sports and media sector makes it imperative to prioritize API security. API security controls play a critical role in ensuring the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of data. Which is why this world renowned sports and media organization engaged the Noname Security team.

Adopting API security

The customer was well aware of the need for API security but wasn’t exactly sure where they should start and which areas should be prioritized over others. Traditionally they had been primarily focused on application security and felt that their existing tools like API gateways and web application firewalls would suffice in protecting APIs.

However, they soon realized that these traditional tools lack the granular capabilities of a dedicated API security solution. One of the key aspects of API security is authentication and authorization. Proper authentication mechanisms ensure that only authorized users or systems can access the APIs. Much of this could not be addressed with their current infrastructure.

Uncovering vulnerabilities

The Noname team deployed our Posture Management and Runtime Protection modules in order to understand the current API security posture. Once we had an accurate inventory of the APIs in the customer’s environment, we were then able to uncover any existing security vulnerabilities and misconfigurations.

The first discovery was that the customer was a victim of an SQL injection. A SQL injection is a type of security vulnerability that occurs when an attacker can manipulate the input parameters of an API request to execute unauthorized SQL commands. The consequences of a successful SQL injection attack can be severe. Attackers can gain unauthorized access to sensitive data, modify or delete data, or even execute arbitrary commands on the underlying database server.

The second discovery was that the customer was missing authentication. Without proper authentication, anyone can access your API endpoints and potentially retrieve or modify sensitive data. They can modify or delete data, leading to data integrity issues and potential loss of critical information. This can lead to data breaches, unauthorized information disclosure, or even complete system compromise.

Future outlook

Now that the customer has a firm grip on their APIs in production, they’ve been exploring how to address vulnerabilities before production. Luckily for them, Noname also has a proven solution that has revolutionized the industry – Noname Active Testing.

Noname Security Active Testing is a purpose-built API security testing solution that can understand their unique business logic and provides comprehensive coverage of their API-specific vulnerabilities. Active Testing will help them shift left and establish API security testing into every phase of development.