by This story is a cautionary tale for every CEO and head of business in Zimbabwe and Zambia, drawn from real events happening in our markets. The lesson is universal and directly tied to the responsibility of corporate leaders.
Over the last few years Gikko has seen several institutions succumb to cyber-attacks. The incidents were not phishing scams or server-side brute force attacks; the security breaches came through unexpected and largely unmonitored gateways: the public-facing APIs.
We had provided the institutions with secure mobile communications service, but the API that powered its core services apps were left vulnerable.
The attackers were not a group of hackers looking for a quick hit. They launched a “low and slow” attack, subtly probing the API over weeks, studying its business logic, and eventually exploiting a flaw to deliver fake messages to mobile numbers locally and internationally. The breaches compromised brand integrity, leading to significant financial losses and reputational damage.
Why this is a Corporate Governance and Fiduciary Duty
This isn’t just an IT problem; it’s a corporate governance duty. For leaders in Zimbabwe and Zambia, these events underscore a critical fiduciary duty to protect stakeholders’ interests. Institutions’ leadership need to fulfill this duty by:
- Never Underestimating the Threat: Viewing API security as an optional expense rather than a mandatory shield for their digital assets.
- Not Ignoring Expert Advice: Declining a security solution that was specifically designed to protect against modern API threats.
- Always adapting: Operating under the assumption that traditional firewalls and application security were enough to protect a rapidly evolving digital service.
In Zimbabwe, the Cyber and Data Protection Act now explicitly mandates that organizations implement appropriate safeguards to protect personal data. For a CEO, failing to secure your APIs against a known threat is not just a business risk, it is a regulatory and legal liability.
How the SALT API Solution Fights Back
This nightmare scenario is what Gikko and SALT Security were built to prevent. Our advanced API security solution provides a proactive, continuous defense that operates in real-time. It doesn’t rely on outdated methods; it uses patented AI and machine learning to secure your APIs at every stage.
- API Discovery: We automatically find all your APIs, including the “shadow APIs” you might not even know you have. We map your entire attack surface so you can’t be attacked from an unknown entry point.
- Threat Detection & Prevention: The SALT platform learns what “normal” API behavior looks like for your business. It can then spot the subtle, “low and slow” attacks that traditional firewalls miss, stopping attackers during their reconnaissance phase before they can do any real damage.
- Proactive Remediation: When a threat is detected, the platform doesn’t just block it. It provides detailed, actionable insights to your development team, showing them exactly how to fix the vulnerability that was exploited. This turns every attempted attack into a lesson that makes your APIs stronger.
Your APIs are the gateways to your most valuable assets: your customers and their data. Waiting for an attack to happen is no longer an option. Don’t let your success story turn into a cautionary tale.
Beyond Compliance: A CEO’s 3-Point Checklist for Proactive API Security
For CEOs and business heads in Zimbabwe and Zambia, the conversation around cybersecurity is shifting. It’s no longer just about meeting basic compliance standards; it’s about establishing a proactive defense that protects your brand, your customers, and your bottom line.
Your APIs are the new frontier of corporate risk, connecting your mobile apps, partner services, and internal systems. Here is a simple, three-point checklist to guide your strategic thinking on proactive API security.
1. Do You Know Your Full Attack Surface? The Mandate for Continuous Discovery
Many businesses, especially those that have grown quickly, have a sprawling API landscape. We call them “shadow” and “zombie” APIs: the ones that were created for a project and then forgotten. These are often the weakest links in a security chain, left unmonitored and ripe for exploitation.
As a leader, you must ask: Do we have a complete, real-time inventory of every single API we have?
The Gikko API security solution, powered by SALT, continuously maps your entire API landscape automatically. This ensures you know every single endpoint, what data it’s exposing, and where the vulnerabilities lie.
2. Can You Spot the Attack Before it Becomes a Breach? The Power of AI-Driven Threat Detection
Traditional security solutions often fail to protect APIs because they are designed to stop known threats. Today’s attackers use subtle, “low and slow” methods that exploit flaws in your business logic – the very way your application is designed to function.
This is where AI is crucial. Gikko’s solution uses patented AI and machine learning to analyse millions of API calls and establish a baseline of “normal” behaviour. When an anomaly occurs; for example, a user querying data at an unusual rate or attempting to manipulate a transaction flow, the platform identifies it as a potential attack, not just an error. This allows you to stop attacks during the reconnaissance phase, before they ever reach their objective.
3. Are You Learning from Every Attack? Proactive Remediation
A security breach should not be a moment of crisis but an opportunity to become stronger. The most effective security strategy is one that uses every attempted attack as a learning tool.
Our SALT-powered platform goes beyond simply blocking threats. It captures and analyzes the attacker’s behavior to provide your development team with a “forensics report” that highlights the specific vulnerability exploited. This gives your developers the exact insights they need to patch vulnerabilities and harden your APIs, turning a potential disaster into a learning experience.
By focusing on continuous discovery, AI-powered threat detection, and proactive remediation, you move your business from a reactive to a resilient security posture. In the current regulatory environment in Zimbabwe and Zambia, this is not just good practice. It’s essential for survival.
See more at https://www.gikko.net/api-security
