Why API-centric security apps are becoming mission-critical for retailers selling across web, mobile, social, and marketplaces.

From Single Storefront to Everywhere Commerce

A decade ago, “online store” meant a website. Today, merchants sell through native mobile apps, live shopping streams, social media shops, embedded checkout links, and third-party marketplaces. Customers expect to start a purchase on one device and complete it on another, with loyalty points, gift cards, and buy-now-pay-later options following them everywhere.

A dense web of APIs powers this seamless experience. Browsers, apps, and third-party platforms call back into the merchant’s core systems for product information, prices, cart data, shipping quotes, and payment authorization. According to recent industry research, a majority of retail and eCommerce companies have suffered at least one API security incident in the past year, and many do not have a complete inventory of the APIs that expose sensitive data.Akamai

Every API offers attackers a new door to knock on. Poor authentication, misconfigured access control, or forgotten test endpoints can give criminals a pathway to scrape prices, harvest customer data, or bypass fraud controls.

The API Security Wake-Up Call

As omnichannel commerce matures, attackers are adapting. Instead of hammering login pages or payment forms, they target API endpoints that were built for convenience, not security. Inventory APIs designed for mobile apps can be abused for competitive scraping. Loyalty APIs meant to power rewards apps can be turned against customers through credential-stuffing attacks.

Recent studies on the retail and eCommerce sector show that unmanaged APIs, especially those created outside central IT processes or left over from past projects, are a major source of risk and financial loss.Akamai

To counter this, eCommerce security apps are evolving into full-fledged API security platforms. The new generation of tools discovers APIs automatically by analyzing traffic, mapping dependencies between services, and classifying data flows. Once they know what exists, they can enforce rate limits, authentication policies, and anomaly detection at scale.

Omnichannel Fraud: When Every Channel is a Vector

Omnichannel commerce is not just a technical challenge; it is a fraud challenge. Customers might buy online and return in store, or reserve via a mobile app and pick up curbside. Fraudsters have learned to exploit the gaps between these channels.

Research into omnichannel fraud trends shows that account takeover attacks, promo abuse, and policy misalignment between channels are major sources of loss.Signifyd For example, a fraudster may use a compromised loyalty account to purchase goods online, then exploit a more permissive in-store return policy to obtain cash or higher-value merchandise.

Digital security apps are stepping in as the connective tissue for risk management. By integrating with point-of-sale systems, order management platforms, and customer data platforms, they build a unified identity graph that spans all channels. This allows them to spot patterns such as a device that repeatedly creates new accounts to exploit welcome discounts, or a customer ID that suddenly appears in multiple countries within hours.

Embedded Security in Customer-Facing Apps

Customers increasingly interact with brands through native apps and social channels rather than desktop websites. That shift has profound implications for security. Mobile SDKs embed biometrics, device fingerprinting, and secure storage features directly into the shopping experience. At the same time, social commerce relies heavily on redirects, third-party scripts, and embedded payment widgets.

Modern digital security apps must therefore operate on two fronts. On mobile, they need to detect rooted or jailbroken devices, emulator usage, and malware that might intercept one-time codes or payment details. In the browser, they must monitor scripts loaded from CDNs, tag managers, and ad networks, ensuring that only authorized code can access payment forms and customer data.

Security vendors and standards bodies are increasingly emphasizing payment page security and script monitoring requirements, acknowledging that script-based attacks such as e-skimming and Magecart have become persistent threats to omnichannel retailers.PCI Perspectives

Closing Thoughts and Looking Forward

Omnichannel commerce will only grow more complex as retailers add voice commerce, connected TV apps, and in-car purchasing to the mix. Each new touchpoint brings new APIs, new data flows, and new integration partners.

In this landscape, digital security apps are no longer optional add-ons. They must be treated as core infrastructure, architected alongside commerce platforms and payment systems. The retailers that thrive in 2026 will be those that combine delightful omnichannel experiences with an invisible security mesh that protects every request, response, and identity behind the scenes.

References

“2024 API Security Impact Study: Retail & Ecommerce Industry.” Akamai. https://www.akamai.com/site/en/documents/brief/2024/akamai-2024-api-security-impact-study-retail-and-ecommerce-industry.pdf Akamai

“State of Apps and API Security 2025.” Akamai. https://www.akamai.com/content/dam/site/en/documents/state-of-the-internet/2025/akamai-web-application-attacks-and-api-attacks-report.pdf Akamai

“The Evolution of Fraud Security: Protecting the Omnichannel Ecommerce Experience.” Signifyd. https://www.signifyd.com/blog/protecting-omnichannel-ecommerce-from-fraud/ Signifyd

“Omnichannel Retailing Report 2024: Trends and Consumer Behaviour.” BetterCommerce. https://www.bettercommerce.io/blog/omnichannel-retailing-report-2024 BetterCommerce

“Top 5 2024 Payment and Commerce Trends.” Global Payments. https://www.globalpayments.com/en-au/commerce-payment-trends/2024 https://www.globalpayments.com/

Author: Claire Gauthier, Author – eCommerce Technologies, Montreal, Quebec
Co-Editor: Peter Jonathan Wilcheck – Co-Editor, Miami, Florida

#OmnichannelSecurity #APISecurity #RetailApps #SocialCommerceRisk #MobileCheckout #ScriptMonitoring #EskimmingDefense #LoyaltyFraud #IdentityGraph #eCommerceRisk