Overcoming access control in web APIs

How to address security concerns using Sanic

Adam Hopkins

APIs Authentication Best Practice RESTful Web

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Great, you've developed a great web API. Awesome, you are about to deploy it. But, how do you secure it and manage access?

Learn about different approaches to securing a web API whether it is meant for third-party integrations or driving a modern single-page application. Not all APIs are the same, so we will explore different considerations to make when crafting a solution to handle token-based authentication, and scoping to define access levels.

As one of the core developers of the async web framework Sanic, I will primarily focus on authentication and authorization tools inside Sanic to showcase how to address these issues. However, the concepts should be broadly applicable enough to take back and apply to any web API. The goal is to learn the hot spots, and identify strategies to overcome them.

Core take aways will include:
- how to implement various JWT strategies;
- best practices for storing JWTs on a browser; and
- controlling access privileges using structured scopes.

Time permitting, we will even discuss some tools to be used to help ease the anxiety and make security more approachable.

Type: Talk (30 mins); Python level: Intermediate; Domain level: Beginner


Adam Hopkins

PacketFabric

Builder of web applications for 20+ years. Maintainer of the asyncio web server and framework: Sanic. Self-styled authentication nut.