API Observability Checklist:
What Every DevOps Team
Needs to Know

APIs power the digital world, enabling seamless interactions across applications, platforms, and devices. However, with their increasing ubiquity comes a rise in complexity and security risks. For DevOps teams, ensuring robust API observability is no longer optional—it’s essential for maintaining performance, security, and compliance.

In this guide, we present a comprehensive API observability checklist that covers everything DevOps teams need to know. From real-time API monitoring to vulnerability management, this checklist integrates Rakuten SixthSense’s API Security solutions to ensure comprehensive protection and operational efficiency.

API Observability Checklist: Key Components

1. Automated API Discovery

API observability starts with knowing what you have. Undocumented or unmanaged APIs, such as shadow or zombie APIs, can pose significant risks if left unmonitored.

Checklist Items:

• Conduct regular automated scans to identify active APIs.
• Maintain an updated inventory of internal, external, and third-party APIs.
• Categorize APIs based on their criticality and usage.

Rakuten SixthSense Features:

• Automated API discovery to detect and document all endpoints.
• Comprehensive inventory tools to track API status in real time.

2. Real-Time API Monitoring

Continuous monitoring is critical for detecting performance issues and security threats before they escalate.

Checklist Items:

• Monitor API traffic for anomalies, such as unusual request patterns.
• Track API response times, error rates, and throughput.
• Integrate monitoring tools with incident management systems for faster response.

Example: A healthcare provider avoided downtime during a surge in telemedicine API usage by leveraging Rakuten SixthSense’s real-time monitoring capabilities.

Rakuten SixthSense Features:

• AI-powered traffic analysis to differentiate between legitimate and malicious requests.
• Dynamic rate limiting to prevent overload during peak traffic periods.

3. Vulnerability Management

API vulnerabilities can lead to data breaches, unauthorized access, and operational disruptions. Proactively identifying and addressing these vulnerabilities is essential.

Checklist Items:

• Perform regular vulnerability scans on APIs.
• Address OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities, such as injection flaws and broken authentication.
• Implement virtual patches to mitigate risks in real time.

Rakuten SixthSense Features:

• Real-time vulnerability scanning and remediation.
• Business-contextualized risk scoring to prioritize high-impact vulnerabilities.

Example: A fintech company resolved 15 critical vulnerabilities in its API ecosystem, protecting over 800,000 daily transactions.

4. Comprehensive Observability Dashboards

Dynamic dashboards provide real-time insights into API performance and security metrics, enabling teams to make data-driven decisions.

Checklist Items:

• Track API response times, error rates, and throughput.
• Visualize API dependencies to identify potential bottlenecks.
• Integrate dashboards with incident management systems for faster response.

Rakuten SixthSense Features:

• Dynamic dashboards offering actionable insights to optimize API performance.
• Dependency mapping to visualize API interactions across distributed systems.

5. Proactive Threat Detection

Proactive threat detection ensures that anomalies are flagged and addressed before they escalate into major incidents.

Checklist Items:

• Leverage AI-driven threat detection to identify anomalies in real time.
• Implement automated responses, such as virtual patching and rate limiting.
• Integrate automation tools with existing DevOps workflows for seamless operations.

Rakuten SixthSense Features:

• AI-driven threat detection to identify and mitigate risks proactively.
• Automated vulnerability management to apply fixes instantly and reduce response times.

API observability is a cornerstone of modern DevOps practices, enabling teams to maintain security, performance, and compliance in increasingly complex environments. By following this checklist and leveraging Rakuten SixthSense’s advanced API Security solutions, DevOps teams can ensure robust API observability and operational excellence.

Ready to enhance your API observability strategy? Discover how Rakuten SixthSense can help you secure and optimize your APIs.