Shadow APIs and Weak Gateway Controls Elevate Fintech Risk, Finds Info-Tech Research Group
With banks expanding fintech partnerships to deliver digital services at scale, externally facing APIs have become foundational to modern banking infrastructure. However, many institutions lack complete visibility into APIs in production or consistent enforcement through mature gateway controls. New insights from Info-Tech Research Group show how these structural gaps increase exposure to evolving threats. The firm's Improve Your API Processes to Secure Your Fintech Integrations blueprint outlines three priority actions to strengthen API governance and secure fintech ecosystems.
ARLINGTON, Va., March 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - As fintech ecosystems grow more complex, many banks are expanding API integrations faster than governance models can mature. Recent findings from global IT research and advisory firm Info-Tech Research Group indicate that incomplete API inventories, inconsistent oversight, and underconfigured gateways are leaving critical integration points exposed. In some cases, direct integrations with fintech partners bypass centralized gateway enforcement entirely, reducing visibility and limiting consistent control over authentication, monitoring, and traffic management. Adversaries increasingly leverage automation and AI-enabled discovery techniques, heightening the likelihood of undetected vulnerabilities across banking environments.
In response to these growing security pressures in retail banking, Info-Tech has published its Improve Your API Processes to Secure Your Fintech Integrations blueprint. The resource outlines how IT leaders can strengthen fintech API security by establishing a complete inventory of APIs in production, evaluating and maturing API gateway capabilities, and analyzing transaction-level processes to identify and remediate security gaps.
"APIs serve as the connective tissue linking on-premises systems with cloud, SaaS, and third-party services. However, many financial institutions face a significant challenge in the form of shadow APIs, undocumented or unmanaged interfaces that can outnumber known APIs by as much as ten to one," says Jon Nelson, principal advisory director at Info-Tech Research Group. "To address this risk, financial institutions must establish comprehensive API security policies, conduct thorough API discovery, and implement enforcement mechanisms such as API gateways to ensure consistent control. Without these foundational measures, the expansion of fintech capabilities may introduce substantially more risk than institutions anticipate."
Info-Tech's Three-Step Action Plan to Strengthen Fintech API Security
To help banks operationalize secure fintech integrations, Info-Tech's blueprint details three priority actions that form the foundation of a mature fintech API security program. These actions are designed to strengthen visibility, enforce consistent gateway controls, and elevate transaction-level protections across externally facing APIs:
- Create a Comprehensive Inventory of All APIs in Production
Enterprise architecture, infrastructure, and application teams must partner with business stakeholders to identify, catalog, and document all internal and external APIs, including previously unknown or shadow endpoints. Without a complete inventory, APIs cannot be consistently governed or secured through centralized controls. - Evaluate the API Gateway and Its Configuration
IT operations and security teams should assess the bank's API gateway deployment model and configuration maturity. This includes reviewing authentication, authorization, rate limiting, monitoring, logging, and certificate management capabilities to ensure controls align with current security best practices and regulatory expectations. - Analyze API Transactions to Guide Secure Configuration
Application development, DevSecOps, and security architecture teams should review API transaction flows against a best-practice model to identify control gaps. Findings should inform gateway configuration updates and process improvements, with oversight from the bank's risk function to align with enterprise risk tolerance.
By embedding structured API governance and modern gateway capabilities into their operating model, banks can reduce exposure while enabling innovation at scale. Info-Tech's Improve Your API Processes to Secure Your Fintech Integrations blueprint provides a structured methodology to help financial institutions move from fragmented API management to a mature, security-first fintech integration model. This enables fintech partnerships to scale without compromising regulatory compliance, operational stability, or customer trust.
For exclusive and timely commentary from Info-Tech's experts, including Jon Nelson, and access to the complete Improve Your API Processes to Secure Your Fintech Integrations blueprint, please contact [email protected].
About Info-Tech Research Group
Info-Tech Research Group is one of the world's leading and fastest-growing research and advisory firms, serving over 30,000 IT, HR, and marketing professionals around the globe. As a trusted product and service leader, the company delivers unbiased, highly relevant research and industry-leading advisory support to help leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. For nearly 30 years, Info-Tech has partnered closely with teams to provide everything they need, from actionable tools to expert guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.
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SOURCE Info-Tech Research Group
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