APIs power Salesforce integrations, seamlessly connecting your CRM with third-party apps to automate workflows and drive efficiency. But with great connectivity comes great risk. Mismanaged API access can lead to data breaches, compliance violations, and operational disruptions—yet many orgs unknowingly leave their APIs exposed due to overly permissive settings and poor access controls. In fact, 60% of security practitioners cite secure API access as one of their biggest challenges, highlighting the growing concern around unauthorized data exposure.
With AI-driven tools increasing API reliance, securing your endpoints is more critical than ever. So how can you protect sensitive data without disrupting business operations? In this guide, we’ll cover best practices for API security, from monitoring and access restrictions to proactive threat detection.
Salesforce APIs are designed for flexibility, enabling seamless integrations across your tech stack. But with every new connection—whether it’s a marketing automation platform, an AI-powered analytics tool, or a custom-built app—the attack surface grows. Each API endpoint represents a potential entry point for bad actors, making it crucial to monitor and control access at all times.
One major challenge is shadow integrations—third-party apps or services connected to Salesforce without security oversight. Employees often grant API access to tools for convenience, but without visibility into these integrations, security teams have no way to assess their risk.
Additionally, overly permissive API settings can leave sensitive data exposed. Many orgs default to broad access permissions, allowing applications to read, write, or extract data beyond what’s necessary. This not only increases the risk of unauthorized access but also makes detecting malicious activity harder.
API attacks are skyrocketing— 84% of security professionals reported an API security incident in the past 12 months, marking an all-time high. Many of these breaches stem from misconfigurations, weak authentication, and excessive data exposure. As organizations scale their Salesforce integrations, security gaps often go unnoticed until an attack occurs.
One major risk is insecure API keys and tokens. When credentials are hardcoded in applications, improperly stored, or left exposed in public repositories, attackers can easily exploit them to access Salesforce data. Weak authentication methods—such as relying solely on API keys instead of OAuth and multi-factor authentication (MFA)—further increase the risk of unauthorized access.
Another widespread issue is excessive data exposure. Many APIs return more information than necessary, making data leaks more likely if an endpoint is compromised. Without strict controls over what data is accessible and how it’s shared, even a minor oversight can lead to significant security incidents.
Attackers are constantly evolving, and Salesforce APIs are no exception. Threat actors are moving beyond basic credential stuffing and misconfiguration exploits—now leveraging AI-powered attacks , API abuse, and supply chain vulnerabilities to gain access to sensitive data. As security teams work to close traditional gaps, attackers are developing more advanced tactics to bypass defenses.
One emerging threat is API abuse and business logic attacks. Instead of directly exploiting a vulnerability, attackers manipulate API workflows as intended but for malicious purposes—such as exploiting overly permissive permissions to extract massive amounts of data without triggering security alerts. Automated bot attacks also pose a growing concern, using stolen credentials or brute-force techniques to gain persistent access to Salesforce APIs.
Additionally, AI-driven threats are accelerating attack sophistication. Cybercriminals are using AI to identify weak points in Salesforce API security, generate realistic phishing attempts targeting API credentials, and automate large-scale attacks at unprecedented speed. Third-party supply chain risks further complicate security, as attackers increasingly target connected applications with weaker defenses as an entry point into Salesforce.
Keeping your Salesforce APIs secure isn’t just about setting up access controls. It’s also about staying vigilant and catching threats before they turn into full-blown breaches. Hackers and insiders can exploit APIs to extract sensitive data or gain unauthorized access, making proactive monitoring a must.
By watching for unusual patterns and tracking data flows, your team can detect suspicious activity early and take swift action. Let’s explore some key areas to focus on when monitoring for API security threats.
APIs are a common target for data thieves looking to move large amounts of sensitive information out of your Salesforce environment. Massive data transfers, especially outside of normal business hours or from unknown integrations, should raise red flags. Attackers might exploit weak access controls to siphon off customer data, financial records, or intellectual property without triggering alarms, unless you’re actively monitoring for it.
To prevent data exfiltration, set limits on API data exports, monitor for unusually high data transfer volumes, and implement data loss prevention (DLP) policies that flag potential unauthorized access attempts. Limiting the amount of data that can be accessed in a single API call can also reduce the impact of potential breaches.
By taking a proactive approach to API security, you can significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access and data loss. With tools like Arovy, your team can gain real-time visibility into API activity , quickly detect threats, and stay ahead of potential security issues.
Securing your Salesforce APIs is crucial for protecting sensitive data, staying compliant, and ensuring your integrations run smoothly without unnecessary risks. By taking a proactive approach - implementing strong access controls, monitoring API activity, and regularly reviewing permissions - you can safeguard your Salesforce environment against potential threats.
But staying on top of it all doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With Arovy, you get real-time monitoring, actionable insights, and instant alerts to help you detect and respond to API security risks with confidence.
Ready to simplify your API security? Try Arovy free today.