Table of Contents

Overview Secrets Management Network Security Rate Limiting Encryption & SSL Security Headers DDoS Protection Incident Response Compliance Security Checklist

API Documentation

API Security Best Practices and Hardening

Implement comprehensive security practices for Smart Money API integration. Master secrets management, network security, rate limiting, and compliance.

Published March 21, 2026 • 19 min read • Critical

Security Overview

Smart Money API follows industry best practices for security. This guide covers your responsibilities in protecting your integration and user data.

Security layers:

Transport Layer — TLS 1.3 encryption for all traffic
Authentication Layer — API keys, OAuth 2.0, MFA
Authorization Layer — Scope-based access control
Rate Limiting — DDoS and brute force protection
Data Protection — Encryption at rest and in transit

Critical: Never hardcode API keys in code. Use environment variables or secrets management systems.

Secrets Management

Best Practices

Store in environment variables, not code
Use secrets management systems (Vault, AWS Secrets Manager)
Rotate keys on schedule (quarterly minimum)
Audit access logs regularly
Immediately rotate compromised keys
Use different keys for different environments

Implementation

Secure API Key Loading
// Load from environment, not hardcoded
const apiKey = process.env.SMARTMONEY_API_KEY;
if (!apiKey) throw new Error('API key not configured');
// Use in headers, never log
const headers = {
  'Authorization': `Bearer ${apiKey}`
};

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Network Security

TLS/SSL Requirements

Minimum TLS 1.2 required (TLS 1.3 recommended)
Verify SSL certificates in production
Never disable certificate validation
Use certificate pinning for mobile apps

IP Whitelisting

IP Whitelist Setup
// Restrict API access to your servers
POST /v1/account/ip-whitelist
  -d '{
    "cidr": "203.0.113.0/24",
    "description": "Production servers"
  }'

Rate Limiting & DDoS

Implementing Backoff

Exponential Backoff
// Implement exponential backoff on 429
async function apiCall(retries = 0) {
  try {
    return await fetch(url, options);
  } catch (err) {
    if (err.status === 429 && retries < 5) {
      const delay = Math.pow(2, retries) * 1000;
      await sleep(delay);
      return apiCall(retries + 1);
    }
    throw err;
  }
}

Encryption & SSL/TLS

Certificate Validation

Secure HTTPS
// Node.js: Verify certificates (default behavior)
const https = require('https');
const agent = new https.Agent({
  rejectUnauthorized: true,  // NEVER disable!
  minVersion: 'TLSv1.2'
});

Security Headers

Required Headers

Header	Purpose
X-Request-ID	Tracing and auditing
User-Agent	Identify your application
Accept	Request format (application/json)
Authorization	Authentication credentials

DDoS Protection

Smart Money's Protection

Cloudflare DDoS protection (layer 3/4 and layer 7)
Rate limiting per API key
Geographic rate limits
Automatic detection and mitigation

Your Responsibilities

Implement request timeout (30 seconds)
Use connection pooling
Implement circuit breaker pattern
Monitor for unusual activity

Incident Response

If Your Key Is Compromised

Immediately — Call revoke API key endpoint
Check logs — Review API access logs for unauthorized use
Audit — Check balance, transactions for suspicious activity
Generate — Create new API key
Deploy — Update application with new key
Monitor — Watch for continued unauthorized access

Compliance

Standards Compliance

SOC 2 Type II — Certified security controls
ISO 27001 — Information security management
GDPR — Data privacy compliance
PCI DSS — Payment card industry standards

Security Checklist

Pre-Production

API keys in environment variables, not code
HTTPS enforced, certificates validated
Rate limiting and backoff implemented
Secrets rotation scheduled quarterly
Security headers properly configured
Logging configured (no credentials logged)

Production Ongoing

Monitor API access logs daily
Rotate keys on schedule
Run security audit quarterly
Update dependencies for vulnerabilities
Test incident response procedures
Review and update security policies

Secure Your Integration

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