25% of respondents have already experienced an AI-enhanced security incident, according to a new report from Kong.
Kong, a leading developer of cloud API technologies, has released findings from its Security Perspectives 2025: AI-enhanced Threats and API Security Report which highlights today’s API security landscape and how new developments in AI will impact it.
Most notably, 25% of respondents have encountered AI-enhanced security threats related to APIs or LLMs, with 75% of respondents expressing serious concern about AI-enhanced attacks in the future. And while 85% say they’re confident in their organisation’s security capabilities, 55% of respondents cited they’ve experienced an API security incident in the past year, highlighting a notable disconnect.
The findings also put into perspective the importance of having a strong security strategy noting that one in five respondents cited their organisation has experienced an API security incident costing more than US$500,000 in the past 12 months.
While 92% of respondents say they are taking measures to counter AI-enhanced attacks and 88% of respondents citing API security as a top priority, it is clear that many organisations lack the comprehensive security measures needed to protect their API infrastructure in the AI era.
“Organisations cannot afford to underestimate their own security risks – especially in the age of AI,” said Marco Palladino, CTO and Co-Founder of Kong.
“The report showcases that API security is being taken seriously as part of overall cybersecurity strategy, but there are still some blind spots that can open an organisation up to threats. As AI continues to advance, not only will companies create more vulnerabilities within their own organisations, but attacks will become more sophisticated. Understanding the full threat landscape is crucial to maintaining a strong API security posture.”
As might be expected 84% of respondents feel AI and LLMs will make securing APIs more difficult, but surprisingly, the research finds many basic API security tactics being left out of overall strategy.
Only 35% of organisations are adopting zero-trust architecture in order to mitigate API security risks and only 3% of respondents cite shadow APIs as a significant security threat to their organisation. With the convergence of APIs and AI, it is more important than ever to have a strong API security posture.
