Building a Movie Explorer with Google Cloud: Protecting API Keys and Enhancing Security
Tags: googlefunctions, flatironschool, beginners, javascript
Published: 2023-07-28 03:56:06



**Introduction**

Hello and welcome to my technical blog! In this post, I'll go over the technical aspects of Protecting the API. Users can use this web application to search for movies and create favorites and watchlists. However, ensuring the security of sensitive information, such as the API key used to retrieve movie data, was a critical aspect of the project. To accomplish this, I used Google Cloud, a powerful cloud computing platform, to protect the API key and improve the application's overall security.
``
**Understanding the Importance of Securing API Keys**

Before we get into the technical details, let's talk about why it's so important to secure API keys. An API key functions similarly to a password, granting access to specific data or services provided by an external API. Exposing this key in client-side code may result in potential security risks such as unauthorized API access and misuse of the associated services. As a result, it's critical to keep the API key hidden from prying eyes and to put safeguards in place to protect it from malicious attacks.

**Integrating Google Cloud to Secure the API Key**

Google Cloud offers a comprehensive set of tools and services for securely handling sensitive data. To begin, I created a Google Cloud account and configured a Cloud Function to serve as a proxy for movie API requests. This proxy design keeps the API key hidden on the server side, preventing it from being exposed to client-side code.

**Hiding the API Key in Google Cloud Function**
Let's dive into the technical implementation. Below are the essential steps to hide the API key in the Google Cloud Function:

```

// Required dependencies for the Google Cloud Function
const fetch = require('node-fetch');

// Google Cloud Function to proxy movie API requests
exports.proxyMovieAPI = (req, res) => {
  // Hide the API key securely using environment variables
  const apiKey = process.env.MOVIE_API_KEY;
  
  // Retrieve search term from the client request
  const searchTerm = req.query.searchTerm;
  
  // Ensure a valid search term is provided
  if (!searchTerm) {
    res.status(400).json({ error: 'Search term is missing.' });
    return;
  }

  // Construct the URL for the movie API request
  const url = `https://api.themoviedb.org/3/search/movie?api_key=${apiKey}&query=${encodeURIComponent(searchTerm)}`;
  
  // Perform API request with the hidden API key
  fetch(url)
    .then(response => {
      if (!response.ok) {
        throw new Error('Network response was not ok.');
      }
      return response.json();
    })
    .then(data => {
      // Return the API response to the client
      res.status(200).json(data);
    })
    .catch(error => {
      console.error('Error:', error);
      res.status(500).json({ error: 'An error occurred while fetching movie data.' });
    });
};

```
By using environment variables in the Google Cloud Function, we can safely store the API key without exposing it in the codebase. Additionally, this approach allows for easy management of multiple keys and enhances security.

Ensuring API Key Security with Authentication and Authorization
Beyond hiding the API key, I further enhanced security by implementing authentication and authorization mechanisms in the Cloud Function. This ensured that only authenticated users could access the movie data and that they had the appropriate permissions for specific actions, such as adding movies to their favorites or watchlists.

**Conclusion**
Building the Movie Explorer project was an exciting journey, especially when it came to ensuring the security of the API key and user data. By leveraging the powerful capabilities of Google Cloud, I successfully protected sensitive information and enhanced the overall security of the application. As developers, it is crucial to prioritize security in our projects, and Google Cloud provides a robust and reliable solution for achieving that goal.

I hope this technical blog post inspires you to explore Google Cloud's capabilities and motivates you to prioritize security in your own web development projects. Remember, implementing robust security measures not only safeguards user data but also builds trust among your audience.

Thank you for joining me on this technical journey! Feel free to leave your comments and questions below. Happy coding!

[](https://bahamustafa.github.io/flatiron-phase-1-test/)