AutoSecure API Gateway: API-First Authorization Reimagined

This is a submission for the Permit.io Authorization Challenge: API-First Authorization Reimagined Created by @kevin_heidt_d73c1752454fb What I Built I built AutoSecure API Gateway, a robust API gateway solution for the automotive industry that implements API-first authorization principles. By leveraging Permit.io's NGINX integration, the project externalizes authorization logic from application code and enforces fine-grained access control at the gateway layer. This ensures consistent, centralized, and declarative policy enforcement across all APIs. The project demonstrates real-world use cases, such as managing vehicle telemetry, fleet operations, and driver analytics, while supporting multiple roles like vehicle owners, service technicians, and fleet managers. Demo Try the live demo: AutoSecure API Gateway Admin Credentials: Username: admin Password: 2025DEVChallenge User Credentials: Username: newuser Password: 2025DEVChallenge The repo is also easy to implement locally for modification and testing as desired. Take a look at the Quick Start for more info. Almost everything is scripted for you. Project Repo Check out the full project repository here: GitHub - nginx-permitio kaheidt / nginx-permitio Demonstrate API First Development with utilization of permit.io AutoSecure API Gateway: API-First Authorization for Automotive Industry An innovative API gateway solution leveraging NGINX and Permit.io to implement fine-grained authorization for automotive industry applications. LIVE DEMO Try it out LIVE HERE Project Overview AutoSecure API Gateway demonstrates how API-First authorization principles can be applied to modern automotive industry services. It showcases how authorization can be externalized from application code and enforced at the gateway layer using Permit.io's integration with NGINX. Use Case: Connected Vehicle Services Platform This project implements a Connected Vehicle Services Platform API with the following components: Vehicle Telemetry API - Access to real-time vehicle data Maintenance Services API - Schedule and manage service appointments Fleet Management API - Monitor and manage vehicle fleets Driver Behavior Analytics API - Access to driving behavior data Each API has different access control requirements based on user roles: Vehicle Owner - Access to their own vehicle data and services Service… View on GitHub The repository includes: A detailed README with setup instructions Documentation on architecture, authorization model, and AWS deployment My Journey Building this project was an exciting challenge that required balancing innovation with real-world practicality. You read a full write-up in my development journal, but here are some key highlights: Challenges Faced: Designing a scalable and secure architecture for API-first authorization. Ensuring low-latency authorization decisions while maintaining high availability. Integrating Permit.io's NGINX Lua module seamlessly with backend services. Solutions: Implemented a local PDP sidecar for fast, reliable policy decisions. Used Terraform to automate AWS infrastructure deployment. Designed a multi-tenant architecture to support diverse user roles and organizations. Lessons Learned: Externalized authorization simplifies API design and improves security. Declarative policies enable real-time updates without service disruptions. Permit.io's integration with NGINX is a powerful tool for enforcing access control at scale. When in doubt, go native. Switching from JS module to Lua made auth subcalls much easier in nginx. API-First Authorization This project embraces API-first principles by externalizing all authorization logic to Permit.io. Key features include: Centralized Policy Management: Policies are managed in Permit.io's Policy Administration Point (PAP) and synced to the local PDP sidecar. Declarative Rules: Authorization is defined using declarative policies, not hardcoded logic. Gateway-Level Enforcement: NGINX acts as the Policy Enforcement Point (PEP), ensuring consistent access control across all APIs. Real-Time Updates: Policy changes are applied instantly without requiring service restarts. Fine-Grained Access Control: Combines RBAC and ABAC to support complex automotive use cases. For a detailed explanation of the architecture and authorization model, see: Architecture Documentation Authorization Model Documentation Thank you for considering my submission! I hope this project inspires others to explore API-first authorization with Permit.io.

May 4, 2025 - 18:19

This is a submission for the Permit.io Authorization Challenge: API-First Authorization Reimagined

Created by @kevin_heidt_d73c1752454fb

What I Built

I built AutoSecure API Gateway, a robust API gateway solution for the automotive industry that implements API-first authorization principles. By leveraging Permit.io's NGINX integration, the project externalizes authorization logic from application code and enforces fine-grained access control at the gateway layer. This ensures consistent, centralized, and declarative policy enforcement across all APIs.

The project demonstrates real-world use cases, such as managing vehicle telemetry, fleet operations, and driver analytics, while supporting multiple roles like vehicle owners, service technicians, and fleet managers.

Demo

Try the live demo: AutoSecure API Gateway

Admin Credentials:

Username: admin

Password: 2025DEVChallenge
User Credentials:

Username: newuser

Password: 2025DEVChallenge

The repo is also easy to implement locally for modification and testing as desired. Take a look at the Quick Start for more info. Almost everything is scripted for you.

Project Repo

Check out the full project repository here: GitHub - nginx-permitio

kaheidt / nginx-permitio

Demonstrate API First Development with utilization of permit.io

AutoSecure API Gateway: API-First Authorization for Automotive Industry

An innovative API gateway solution leveraging NGINX and Permit.io to implement fine-grained authorization for automotive industry applications.

LIVE DEMO

Try it out LIVE HERE

Project Overview

AutoSecure API Gateway demonstrates how API-First authorization principles can be applied to modern automotive industry services. It showcases how authorization can be externalized from application code and enforced at the gateway layer using Permit.io's integration with NGINX.

Use Case: Connected Vehicle Services Platform

This project implements a Connected Vehicle Services Platform API with the following components:

Vehicle Telemetry API - Access to real-time vehicle data
Maintenance Services API - Schedule and manage service appointments
Fleet Management API - Monitor and manage vehicle fleets
Driver Behavior Analytics API - Access to driving behavior data

Each API has different access control requirements based on user roles:

Vehicle Owner - Access to their own vehicle data and services
Service…

View on GitHub

The repository includes:

A detailed README with setup instructions
Documentation on architecture, authorization model, and AWS deployment

My Journey

Building this project was an exciting challenge that required balancing innovation with real-world practicality. You read a full write-up in my development journal, but here are some key highlights:

Challenges Faced:
- Designing a scalable and secure architecture for API-first authorization.
- Ensuring low-latency authorization decisions while maintaining high availability.
- Integrating Permit.io's NGINX Lua module seamlessly with backend services.
Solutions:
- Implemented a local PDP sidecar for fast, reliable policy decisions.
- Used Terraform to automate AWS infrastructure deployment.
- Designed a multi-tenant architecture to support diverse user roles and organizations.
Lessons Learned:
- Externalized authorization simplifies API design and improves security.
- Declarative policies enable real-time updates without service disruptions.
- Permit.io's integration with NGINX is a powerful tool for enforcing access control at scale.
- When in doubt, go native. Switching from JS module to Lua made auth subcalls much easier in nginx.

API-First Authorization

This project embraces API-first principles by externalizing all authorization logic to Permit.io. Key features include:

Centralized Policy Management: Policies are managed in Permit.io's Policy Administration Point (PAP) and synced to the local PDP sidecar.
Declarative Rules: Authorization is defined using declarative policies, not hardcoded logic.
Gateway-Level Enforcement: NGINX acts as the Policy Enforcement Point (PEP), ensuring consistent access control across all APIs.
Real-Time Updates: Policy changes are applied instantly without requiring service restarts.
Fine-Grained Access Control: Combines RBAC and ABAC to support complex automotive use cases.

For a detailed explanation of the architecture and authorization model, see:

Thank you for considering my submission! I hope this project inspires others to explore API-first authorization with Permit.io.