Authorizing other services (i.e. "machines") - sometimes called M2M - to call your API is typically done with either JWT tokens or API Keys. The reason to use one or the other varies by use case. This post will explain the pros and cons of each and suggest when each one is a good fit for securing your API. Show
JWT Based Machine to Machine (M2M) AuthenticationJWT authentication typically uses an OAuth 2.0 identity provider such as Auth0, AWS Cognito, etc. The identity provider issues tokens after validating the clients are who they say they are. When the client sends a request to the API it includes the JWT in the request's JWT tokens can be issued with any length of expiration time, but it is typical for tokens to expire in a short period, such as one hour. JWT auth with OAuth uses the Client Credentials flow on the identity server. Each client that will call the API is issued a Request
Response
Considerations of Machine-to-Machine JWT AuthJWT-based API auth is a good choice for securing microservices within an organization, or sharing APIs with certain types of external clients.
API Key AuthenticationWith API Key authentication, each client receives a unique secret key. Unlike JWT tokens, the key itself doesn't contain any actual data, it is simply an opaque unique string associated with the client. Furthermore, there is no standard protocol for API Key authentication like OAuth, etc., so each implementation can differ. Ideally, an API using key-based authentication offers the API consumer the ability to manage their keys. For example, an API Gateway could offer a self-serve portal where end-users issue their own tokens and critically can revoke old, and create replacement keys on demand. Tokens can be issued with various permissions and with custom expirations times. A typical API Key authentication system will validate each key as it comes in with a request. If the key is valid, then data is returned with that key - typically information about their identity and permissions.
Or, when using Zuplo's API Key system:
Considerations of API Key AuthThe main difference between API Key auth and JWT token auth is that the JWT Token is self-contained - the information asserted by the token is in the token. Whereas with an API Key the asserted information is stored in an external system. The externalization of assertion data makes API Keys more flexible for certain scenarios.
SummaryBoth JWT authentication and API Key authentication are good options when building a secure API. Each has benefits and drawbacks. JWT authentication is standardized and there are libraries you can use to implement API key authentication quickly. However it is typically more complex for your API consumers. API Key authentication, on the other hand, tends to be extremely simple for developers to understand and implement and is popular with B2B SaaS businesses. However, it can be non-trivial to implement an API Key management solution. You need to securely store (or hash) the API Keys, have a developer-facing UI where consumers can self-serve and roll keys on demand. We've written about our [Best Practices for API Key Authentication] (https://zuplo.com/blog/2022/12/01/api-key-authentication) developed from building Zuplo and our team's collective experience at companies like Microsoft, Facebook, Auth0, and Stripe. About ZuploZuplo is a serverless API Gateway, designed for developers. With Zuplo you can secure your API with API Keys, add rate limiting, get developer documentation, and more in record time. Try Zuplo Free What is the difference between API key and token?The main distinction between these two is: API keys identify the calling project — the application or site — making the call to an API. Authentication tokens identify a user — the person — that is using the app or site.
What is bearer token in API?Bearer token
Bearer tokens enable requests to authenticate using an access key, such as a JSON Web Token (JWT). The token is a text string, included in the request header. In the request Authorization tab, select Bearer Token from the Type dropdown list. In the Token field, enter your API key value.
Is API key the same as JWT token?The main difference between API Key auth and JWT token auth is that the JWT Token is self-contained - the information asserted by the token is in the token. Whereas with an API Key the asserted information is stored in an external system.
Is API key same as access key?So, access token is equivalent to API Key. Whoever gets it, should have it secure similar like API Keys. And OAuth calls should be made via HTTPS similar to API Key based calls. Another advantage over OAuth is Authorization.
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