Introducing Akto Code: Automated API Discovery from source Code

Today marks a significant milestone as we announce the general availability of Akto Code, the next evolution in API security and management. We've always believed that to scale effectively in modern application environments, security must be woven into the development lifecycle. That's why we're bringing Akto's precision in API discovery and security to developer environments, extending our coverage from the first line of code to runtime.

Akto Code has already helped our preview customers get API inventory in minutes from code.

The results are immediate: faster and complete API inventory in minutes.

# 1 Challenge in securing APIs is API Discovery

Modern development practices have blurred the lines between code and infrastructure. APIs evolve rapidly, often leaving security teams unaware of "shadow" or "zombie" APIs. Traditional API management methods and legacy discovery tools fail to capture the full picture, offering incomplete inventory and lacking runtime context.

1. Shadow APIs: There are often unknown to security teams, making them vulnerable to exploitation without detection. Shadow API increases the number of potential entry points for attackers

2. Zombie APIs: APIs that are still active or accessible within a system but are no longer in use. They are considered outdated, and are usually left out of regular security assessments

3. Devs deploy APIs without security approval These APIs often miss essential security assessments like penetration testing, vulnerability scanning, and code reviews, making them susceptible to attacks

4. Manually updating API Documentation: Manual updates increase the risk of human error, resulting in incomplete or outdated. APIs often change quickly, making it difficult to keep documentation up-to-date manually

Akto Code is the new addition to Akto's API Discovery suite, complementing our existing capabilities for traffic source analysis in production and lower environments.

As a leader in API Discovery from traffic sources, we've developed over 40 traffic connectors for both cloud and on-premises systems—and we're not stopping there. With Akto Code, we're expanding our reach to discover APIs directly from the source code itself, providing a comprehensive approach to API security.

Legacy Vendors Lack Context and API Coverage

01 Code-centric Approach Only

• Lacks runtime context

• No insight into API exposure to the internet

• Unable to understand dynamic API behavior

02 Incomplete Inventory

• Extracts only URLs from code

• Fails to capture complete API schema

03 Limited Capabilities

• Focuses solely on finding existing Swagger documentation

• Relies primarily on Semgrep or other open-source tools

Introducing Akto Code: Instant Automated API Discovery from Source Code

Akto's Automated API Discovery from Source Code tackles these challenges head-on, providing real-time visibility into APIs across the DevSecOps pipeline. Here's how Akto Code delivers value:

1. Real-time API Discovery: Akto instantly identifies APIs by scanning your source code. As you add new endpoints or modify existing ones, Akto captures these changes in real time, minimizing the need for manual API documentation updates.

2. Comprehensive API Inventory: Going beyond URLs, Akto captures the full API schema, including parameters. This ensures an accurate and complete API inventory, giving security teams a holistic view of the API landscape.

3. Code-to-Runtime Correlation: A standout feature of Akto Code is its ability to correlate APIs from the codebase to their production behavior. This provides runtime insights—such as internet exposure or critical database calls—enabling dynamic risk assessment.

4. Versioning and Shadow API Detection: Akto tracks API versions over time, helping teams identify outdated (zombie) APIs and ensure proper decommissioning. This mitigates the risk of leaving unmonitored APIs vulnerable to threats.

5. Root Cause Analysis: Vulnerabilities are traced back to the specific file path and line of code, enabling precise and efficient remediation ( upcoming feature)

Available for popular languages and SCMs

Akto Code is built to handle large, complex infrastructures, supporting the discovery of 20,000+ APIs and analyzing 50,000+ files.

• Language support - Python, Go, Nodejs, Java

• SCMs supported - Gitlab, Github, Bitbucket

The Complete API Discovery Landscape with Akto

Akto provides a comprehensive approach to API discovery, combining multiple methods to ensure complete visibility across your entire API ecosystem:

• Source Code Analysis: Akto Code scans your repositories to identify APIs directly from the source, catching new endpoints as they're developed.

• Traffic Monitoring: Akto's 40+ traffic connectors capture API interactions in both production and lower environments, ensuring no active API goes unnoticed.

This multi-faceted approach ensures that organizations have a complete, up-to-date view of their API ecosystem, from development through to production deployment.

The Future of API Security is Here

Akto Code represents the future of the API security platform. It bridges the gap between application and infrastructure security, providing organizations with complete visibility, risk prioritization, and remediation across the entire API lifecycle. With this unified platform, teams can operationalize API security programs at scale—breaking down silos and securing their entire API landscape, from code to runtime.

Ready to get started with Akto Code?

1. Akto customers, you can request for access to your account manager. We are providing access in phased manner.

2. For others, please request access at https://www.akto.io/akto-code. We're reaching out to everyone based on urgency and fit. Due to high demand, we're processing requests in phases.

Watch the feature launch recording and demo here.

Discover Related Links

• API Security

• API Security Tools

• API Security Testing Tools

• API Discovery Tools

• API Security Testing