 Hello everyone, I'm Lisa Martin coming to you from the SiliconANGLE News Desk powered by theCUBE. This week we're focused on a new report that reveals alarming trends in API security. Let's dive right in. A new report released by application programming interface security startup Sequence Security Incorporated sheds light on the growing threats and targeting of what are known as shadow APIs. These findings paint a concerning picture of the evolving API threat landscape. According to the report, which analyzed approximately one trillion transactions across various industries, the second half of 2022 witnessed a staggering increase in threats aimed at consumer facing, business to business and machine to machine APIs. The study examined the tactics, techniques and procedures employed by threat actors in their targeting efforts. One of the headline findings reveals that shadow APIs experienced a remarkable surge of 900%. This surge highlights a critical lack of API visibility as shadow APIs often exist outside the traditional IT management and security processes. Moreover, these undocumented APIs create significant security and governance risks. The report also uncovers a concerning statistic. In the second half of 2022, Sequence Security observed approximately 45 billion search attempts for shadow APIs compared to a mere five billion attempts in the first half of the year. Shockingly, the analysis found that 68% of the organization surveyed had exposed shadow APIs. The holiday season brought an even more substantial cause for concern. Sequence Security recorded a 550% increase in unique threats during this period, rising from around 2000 in June to a staggering 11,000 by mid-November 2022. Attackers are evolving their strategies, combining API and web application security tactics. The research indicates that while traditional application security tactics were favored initially, a surge of 220% in API security tactics, such as anomalous traffic, occurred as the holiday season approached. Notably, the telecom industry found itself as a standout target. Sequence Security researchers discovered that retooling attempts in this sector introduced entirely new tactics, techniques, and procedures. This finding underscores the diversity, the sophistication, and persistence of threats faced by organizations. This report demonstrates that the API threat landscape is in a constant state of flux. Organizations must remain vigilant in protecting their APIs and web applications from automated threats and vulnerability exploits. Attackers are becoming more sophisticated and API-specific in their tactics, rendering traditional protection techniques ineffective. Before the report's release, Sequence Chief Executive Amaya Talwalkar stressed the importance of staying ahead of the curve in the battle against API attacks. He highlighted that understanding the latest attack methods and tools empowers organizations to achieve complete API visibility and build the awareness and confidence needed to protect against even the most sophisticated attacks. That concludes our coverage on the alarming increase in threats and targeting of shadow APIs as revealed by the Sequence Security Report. From the SiliconANGLE News Desk powered by theCUBE, I'm Lisa Martin. That's all for now. Thanks for joining us.