API Sentinel Suite - Technical Documentation

1. System Design & Architecture

1.1 High-Level Architecture

API Sentinel Suite follows a modular microservices architecture with a centralized dashboard for API governance, security, and compliance monitoring.

Key Components:

• API Discovery & Inventory Service – Identifies and catalogs APIs across networks, repositories, and cloud environments.
• Security & Compliance Engine – Scans APIs for vulnerabilities, applies compliance rules, and monitors data flows.
• Documentation Generator – Automates API documentation creation and version control.
• Governance & Risk Management – Enforces policies, logs API activities, and assigns risk scores.
• SBOM/CBOM Module – Tracks software dependencies and cryptographic assets, ensuring post-quantum cryptography (PQC) readiness.
• AI Threat Detection Engine – Uses machine learning for anomaly detection and risk predictions.
• Unified Dashboard – Provides DevOps, SecOps, and compliance teams with analytics and actionable insights.

1.2 Deployment Models

• On-Premise: Deployable within a private data center with Kubernetes orchestration.
• Cloud-Based (SaaS): Hosted on AWS/GCP/Azure with multi-tenant capabilities.
• Hybrid: Integrates with on-premise and cloud-based API gateways.

2. System Architecture

2.1 Architectural Diagram

• API Gateway: Kong/Apigee/AWS API Gateway
• Event Bus: Kafka/RabbitMQ for asynchronous processing
• Microservices: Node.js, Python, Go for modular services
• Databases: PostgreSQL (relational data), MongoDB (metadata store), Elasticsearch (search capabilities)
• Security Components: OpenSSL, BoringSSL, Quantum-Safe Cryptography Libraries
• Logging & Monitoring: Prometheus, Grafana, Splunk, Elastic Stack

3. API Endpoints

3.1 API Discovery & Inventory

Method	Endpoint	Description
GET	/api/discovery/scan	Initiates network scan to detect APIs
GET	/api/inventory	Retrieves list of discovered APIs with metadata
POST	/api/inventory/import	Imports API details from CSV/JSON
POST	/api/inventory/add	Manually adds a new API to the inventory

Sample Response:

{
  "apis": [
    {
      "id": "12345",
      "name": "Payment API",
      "type": "REST",
      "endpoints": ["/v1/payments", "/v1/refunds"],
      "status": "active"
    }
  ]
}

3.2 API Security & Compliance

Method	Endpoint	Description
POST	/api/security/scan	Scans APIs for OWASP vulnerabilities
GET	/api/compliance/check	Verifies API compliance with HIPAA, GDPR, PCI-DSS

Sample Response:

{
  "scan_id": "56789",
  "status": "completed",
  "vulnerabilities": [
    {
      "type": "SQL Injection",
      "severity": "high",
      "affected_endpoint": "/v1/users"
    }
  ]
}

3.3 Automated Documentation

Method	Endpoint	Description
POST	/api/docs/generate	Generates OpenAPI specs from live traffic/code
GET	/api/docs/version	Fetches API documentation versions

3.4 Governance & Risk Monitoring

Method	Endpoint	Description
POST	/api/governance/policy	Creates/updates API policies
GET	/api/risk/score	Retrieves API risk assessment

Sample Response:

{
  "api_id": "12345",
  "risk_score": 85,
  "compliance_status": "partial",
  "recommendations": ["Enable rate limiting", "Encrypt sensitive data"]
}

3.5 SBOM/CBOM Management

Method	Endpoint	Description
GET	/api/sbom/generate	Generates Software Bill of Materials (SBOM)
GET	/api/cbom/analyze	Analyzes cryptographic assets for PQC migration

4. UI Design & Specifications

4.1 Wireframe Overview

Navigation Layout:

• Dashboard - Overview of API security, compliance, and risk scores.
• Inventory - List of APIs with dependency mapping.
• Security & Compliance - Vulnerability scans and compliance reports.
• Documentation - Auto-generated API documentation and versioning.
• Governance - Policy management and audit logs.
• PQC Readiness - Cryptographic dependency analysis.

4.2 UI Elements

Dashboard Widgets:

• API Count & Categorization
• Compliance Heatmaps
• Real-time Security Alerts
• PQC Migration Progress

Compliance View:

• Interactive Policy Builder
• Compliance Score Metrics

Risk Management:

• API Exposure Matrix
• Threat Detection Graphs

5. Technical Integration

5.1 Supported Integrations

• API Gateways: Kong, Apigee, AWS API Gateway
• DevOps Tools: Jenkins, GitHub Actions, Terraform
• Security Platforms: Splunk, Elastic, Palo Alto Cortex
• Cryptography Libraries: OpenSSL, BoringSSL, Open Quantum Safe

5.2 Data Flow Diagram

API Traffic → Security Engine → Governance & Compliance → Dashboard & Insights

6. Roadmap & Future Enhancements

• AI Co-Pilot - Auto-remediation for API vulnerabilities.
• Quantum Simulation Lab - Test APIs against quantum threats.
• Marketplace - Industry-specific compliance add-ons (e.g., FedRAMP, CCPA).
• GraphQL & WebSocket Security - Enhanced monitoring for GraphQL & WebSocket APIs.
• Blockchain-based API Audit Logs - Tamper-proof transaction logging.

7. Conclusion

API Sentinel Suite provides an integrated solution for API discovery, security, governance, and compliance. With AI-powered threat detection, PQC readiness, and robust integrations, it is a must-have platform for enterprises managing large API ecosystems.