API Key Management

Section: API Usage and Automation

API Key Management

This article provides an in-depth guide to securely managing API keys for interacting with Clore's platform. Proper API key management is essential for maintaining secure access to Clore services, protecting data, and ensuring that automation scripts and applications operate smoothly without exposing sensitive information. We will cover best practices for API key storage, usage, rotation, and revocation to help developers keep their integrations secure.

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1. Introduction to API Keys

API keys are unique tokens that allow applications to authenticate and communicate with Clore’s API. Treat these keys as sensitive credentials since they provide access to your account. In this article, we will focus on:

• Generating and storing API keys securely

• Implementing best practices for key usage

• Automating key rotation to improve security

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2. Generating an API Key

To start, you will need to generate an API key on the Clore platform, which will be used for all API calls.

# Example of generating an API key request (This is hypothetical, replace it with the actual process as needed)
import requests

url = "https://api.clore.ai/v1/generate_api_key"
payload = {
    "user_id": "YOUR_USER_ID",
    "auth_token": "YOUR_AUTH_TOKEN"
}
response = requests.post(url, json=payload)
if response.status_code == 200:
    api_key = response.json().get("api_key")
    print("Generated API Key:", api_key)
else:
    print("Failed to generate API key:", response.status_code)

3. Storing API Keys Securely

Store API keys in a secure manner to prevent unauthorized access. Here are some best practices:

• Environment Variables: Store your API keys in environment variables to keep them out of your source code.

• Configuration Files: Use configuration files, but keep them out of version control (e.g., by using .gitignore).

• Secret Management Tools: Consider using secret management tools such as AWS Secrets Manager, Google Secret Manager, or HashiCorp Vault.

Example: Using Environment Variables

import os

# Load API key from environment variable
api_key = os.getenv("CLORE_API_KEY")
if api_key:
    print("API Key loaded successfully")
else:
    print("Error: API Key not found")

4. Using the API Key in Requests

Every API call to Clore requires the API key in the headers for authentication. Below is an example of making an authenticated request to retrieve account details.

# Example: Authenticated request using API key
url = "https://api.clore.ai/v1/account_details"
headers = {
    "Authorization": f"Bearer {api_key}",
    "Content-Type": "application/json"
}
response = requests.get(url, headers=headers)
if response.status_code == 200:
    account_data = response.json()
    print("Account Details:", account_data)
else:
    print("Failed to fetch account details:", response.status_code)

5. Rotating API Keys

Rotating API keys periodically is a security best practice that minimizes the risk of exposure. Automating key rotation ensures you maintain secure and functional access.

Example: Automating API Key Rotation

1. Generate a New Key: Use the Clore API to create a new API key.

2. Update Applications: Update your applications or scripts with the new key, ensuring you load it from a secure location.

3. Revoke the Old Key: After verifying that the new key works, disable or delete the old key.

# Step 1: Generate a new API key (pseudo-code, adjust based on actual API)
new_key = generate_new_key()

# Step 2: Update environment variable or secure storage with new key
update_key_in_environment(new_key)

# Step 3: Revoke the old key
revoke_old_key("OLD_API_KEY")

6. Revoking API Keys

If an API key is compromised or no longer needed, it’s crucial to revoke it to prevent unauthorized access. Below is an example of how you might revoke an API key using Clore’s API.

# Example: Revoke API key
url = "https://api.clore.ai/v1/revoke_api_key"
data = {
    "api_key": "YOUR_OLD_API_KEY"
}
response = requests.post(url, headers=headers, json=data)
if response.status_code == 200:
    print("API Key revoked successfully")
else:
    print("Failed to revoke API key:", response.status_code)

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7. Best Practices for API Key Management

• Least Privilege: Only grant the permissions required for the API key to perform its intended function.

• Audit Logs: Regularly check audit logs to monitor API key usage and detect any suspicious activity.

• Key Expiration Policies: Implement policies to enforce key expiration and renew keys as needed.

• Secure Coding Practices: Avoid hardcoding API keys in your source code.