Security Features

The API submission system includes comprehensive security measures to protect against common vulnerabilities and maintain detailed audit trails.

Input Sanitization

Automatic Data Sanitization

All incoming data is automatically sanitized to prevent security vulnerabilities:

XSS Prevention: HTML tags are stripped from text fields
SQL Injection Protection: Parameterized queries prevent injection attacks
Data Validation: Type checking and format validation
Content Filtering: Malicious content detection and removal

XSS Protection

HTML content is automatically sanitized:

// Input data
{
  "description": "<script>alert('xss')</script>Safe content",
  "name": "<b>Bold Name</b>"
}

// Sanitized data stored
{
  "description": "Safe content",
  "name": "Bold Name"
}

SQL Injection Prevention

All database queries use parameterized statements:

// Secure parameterized query
$query = "INSERT INTO submissions (workflow_id, data, user_id) VALUES (?, ?, ?)";
$statement = $pdo->prepare($query);
$statement->execute([$workflowId, $sanitizedData, $userId]);

Authentication Security

Token-Based Authentication

80-Character Tokens: Long, randomly generated tokens
Bearer Token Format: Industry-standard authentication method
Token Validation: Every request validates token authenticity
Secure Storage: Tokens are hashed in the database

Token Security Features

// Token generation (example)
$apiToken = bin2hex(random_bytes(40)); // 80-character hex string
$hashedToken = hash('sha256', $apiToken);

// Token validation
$user = User::where('api_token_hash', hash('sha256', $providedToken))
    ->where('guard_name', 'api')
    ->where('status', true)
    ->first();

Authentication Best Practices

Token Rotation: Regular token regeneration
Secure Transmission: HTTPS-only communication
Token Storage: Environment variables, not hardcoded
Access Control: Role-based permissions

Request Logging

Comprehensive Logging

Every API request is logged with detailed information:

{
  "timestamp": "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z",
  "request_id": "req_abc123def456",
  "user_id": 5,
  "user_email": "api-user@company.com",
  "ip_address": "192.168.1.100",
  "user_agent": "MyApp/1.0 (API Client)",
  "method": "POST",
  "endpoint": "/api/submissions/workflow/123",
  "workflow_id": 123,
  "status_code": 201,
  "response_time_ms": 245,
  "data_size_bytes": 1024,
  "rate_limit_remaining": 95
}

Log Categories

Category	Description	Retention
Request Logs	All API requests and responses	90 days
Error Logs	Failed requests and system errors	1 year
Security Logs	Authentication failures, suspicious activity	2 years
Audit Logs	Data changes and administrative actions	7 years

Security Event Logging

Special attention to security-related events:

{
  "event_type": "authentication_failure",
  "timestamp": "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z",
  "ip_address": "192.168.1.100",
  "attempted_token": "abc123..." // Partial token for investigation
  "failure_reason": "invalid_token",
  "user_agent": "Suspicious Bot/1.0",
  "consecutive_failures": 5
}

Audit Trail

Complete Audit Logging

Maintain comprehensive audit trails for compliance and monitoring:

Submission Creation Audit

{
  "event": "submission_created",
  "timestamp": "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z",
  "submission_id": 123,
  "workflow_id": 1,
  "created_by": {
    "user_id": 5,
    "user_type": "api_user",
    "user_email": "hr-system@company.com"
  },
  "data_hash": "sha256:abc123def456...",
  "ip_address": "192.168.1.100",
  "request_id": "req_abc123def456"
}

Data Modification Audit

{
  "event": "submission_modified",
  "timestamp": "2024-01-15T11:00:00Z",
  "submission_id": 123,
  "modified_by": {
    "user_id": 10,
    "user_type": "web_user",
    "user_email": "admin@company.com"
  },
  "changes": {
    "status": {
      "from": "pending",
      "to": "approved"
    },
    "approval_date": {
      "from": null,
      "to": "2024-01-15T11:00:00Z"
    }
  },
  "reason": "Manual approval by administrator"
}

Workflow Processing Audit

{
  "event": "workflow_step_completed",
  "timestamp": "2024-01-15T10:31:00Z",
  "submission_id": 123,
  "workflow_id": 1,
  "step_name": "manager_approval",
  "step_result": "approved",
  "processed_by": {
    "user_id": 8,
    "user_email": "manager@company.com"
  },
  "processing_time_ms": 1500,
  "next_step": "hr_review"
}

Data Protection

Sensitive Data Handling

Data Classification

Public: Non-sensitive information (names, general descriptions)
Internal: Business information (department, project codes)
Confidential: Sensitive data (salaries, personal details)
Restricted: Highly sensitive (SSN, financial data)

Encryption at Rest

// Sensitive fields are encrypted before storage
$encryptedData = [
    'salary' => encrypt($data['salary']),
    'ssn' => encrypt($data['ssn']),
    'bank_account' => encrypt($data['bank_account'])
];

Data Masking in Logs

{
  "submitted_data": {
    "name": "John Doe",
    "email": "john@example.com",
    "salary": "[ENCRYPTED]",
    "ssn": "[MASKED]",
    "phone": "***-***-7890"
  }
}

Data Subject Rights

Right to Access: API logs include data access records
Right to Rectification: Audit trail tracks data corrections
Right to Erasure: Secure data deletion with audit records
Right to Portability: Data export capabilities

Privacy by Design

Data Minimization: Only collect necessary data
Purpose Limitation: Use data only for stated purposes
Storage Limitation: Automatic data retention policies
Consent Management: Track consent for data processing

Rate Limiting Security

Abuse Prevention

Rate limiting protects against various attack vectors:

DDoS Protection: Prevent overwhelming the system
Brute Force Prevention: Limit authentication attempts
Resource Protection: Prevent excessive resource consumption
Fair Usage: Ensure equitable access for all users

Suspicious Activity Detection

{
  "alert_type": "suspicious_activity",
  "timestamp": "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z",
  "user_id": 5,
  "ip_address": "192.168.1.100",
  "indicators": [
    "rapid_successive_requests",
    "unusual_request_pattern",
    "multiple_validation_errors"
  ],
  "risk_score": 85,
  "action_taken": "temporary_rate_limit_increase"
}

Security Monitoring

Real-Time Monitoring

Security Metrics

Authentication Failure Rate: Monitor failed login attempts
Request Anomalies: Detect unusual request patterns
Error Rate Spikes: Identify potential attacks
Geographic Anomalies: Unusual request locations

Automated Alerts

// Example monitoring rules
const securityRules = {
  authFailureThreshold: 10, // per hour
  errorRateThreshold: 0.05, // 5% error rate
  requestSpikeThreshold: 5, // 5x normal rate
  suspiciousPatterns: [
    'sql_injection_attempt',
    'xss_attempt',
    'path_traversal_attempt'
  ]
};

Incident Response

Automated Response Actions

Rate Limit Adjustment: Temporary stricter limits
IP Blocking: Block suspicious IP addresses
Token Suspension: Disable compromised tokens
Alert Generation: Notify security team

Manual Response Procedures

Investigation: Analyze logs and patterns
Containment: Limit potential damage
Eradication: Remove threats
Recovery: Restore normal operations
Lessons Learned: Update security measures

Security Best Practices

For API Users

Token Security
- Store tokens securely (environment variables)
- Rotate tokens regularly
- Never log or expose tokens
- Use HTTPS for all requests
Request Security
- Validate data before sending
- Use proper error handling
- Implement retry logic with backoff
- Monitor for unusual responses
Network Security
- Use secure networks
- Implement IP whitelisting if possible
- Monitor network traffic
- Use VPN for sensitive operations

For Administrators

User Management
- Regular API user audits
- Principle of least privilege
- Deactivate unused accounts
- Monitor user activity
System Security
- Keep system updated
- Regular security assessments
- Monitor security logs
- Implement backup procedures
Compliance
- Regular compliance audits
- Data retention policies
- Privacy impact assessments
- Staff security training

Security Incident Reporting

Reporting Channels

Security Email: security@company.com
Emergency Hotline: +1-800-SECURITY
Internal Ticketing: High-priority security tickets
External Reporting: Responsible disclosure program

Required Information

Incident Description: What happened?
Timeline: When did it occur?
Impact Assessment: What was affected?
Evidence: Logs, screenshots, etc.
Immediate Actions: What was done initially?

The security framework ensures that API submissions are processed safely while maintaining comprehensive audit trails for compliance and monitoring purposes.

Input Sanitization​

Automatic Data Sanitization​

XSS Protection​

SQL Injection Prevention​

Authentication Security​

Token-Based Authentication​

Token Security Features​

Authentication Best Practices​

Request Logging​

Comprehensive Logging​

Log Categories​

Security Event Logging​

Audit Trail​

Complete Audit Logging​

Submission Creation Audit​

Data Modification Audit​

Workflow Processing Audit​

Data Protection​

Sensitive Data Handling​

Data Classification​

Encryption at Rest​

Data Masking in Logs​

GDPR Compliance​

Data Subject Rights​

Privacy by Design​

Rate Limiting Security​

Abuse Prevention​

Suspicious Activity Detection​

Security Monitoring​

Real-Time Monitoring​

Security Metrics​

Automated Alerts​

Incident Response​

Automated Response Actions​

Manual Response Procedures​

Security Best Practices​

For API Users​

For Administrators​

Security Incident Reporting​

Reporting Channels​

Required Information​