API‑exposure fuels account takeover

When platform APIs or poorly secured endpoints are exposed, they can leak large troves of user PII (emails, phones, addresses) that are then packaged on dark‑web markets and used to automate password resets, SIM swaps, and social‑engineering campaigns. Routine dark‑web scanning by security firms will continue to be a leading detection mechanism, revealing legacy incidents years after the initial API misconfiguration. — API exposures convert development/devops mistakes into mass‑scale identity and national‑security problems, demanding new rules for platform logging, breach disclosure, third‑party API audits, and rapid remediation obligations.