API Connection Issues

[wbattey]

Hi Alteryx Community!

This is somewhat industry specific but wanted to put it in the general section at his more to do with the credentials we use to access a certain API.

For context, I am trying to make an API call in my flow that pulls in identifying information based on a data key that I pull in at the beginning of the flow.

Due to the industry I work in (finance), the keys we use to authenticate the API call cannot be visible in any way, shape, or form.

Because of this, we are unable to use locked macros or access IAM credentials through python due to the visibility of the API and other credentials.

A colleague suggested that we take a look into some of the Athena SaaS alteryx products that would allow us to get the IAM credentials without them being visible to the user.

If anyone has worked in finance with alteryx and might know either the SaaS product, or how to hide credentials in designer and aligning it with finance firm policies, any recommendations or advice is welcome!

Hope y'all are having a fantastic Tuesday!

[Amy_smart]

Hi,

This article could help with password encryption: Password Encryption | Alteryx Help

Thanks,

Amy

[wbattey]

Hi Amy,

Thank you for response. I've unfortunately already used this link and a few others to no avail.

Some added context is that Alteryx Designer is not making the API call but rather the python tool within the workflow.

The credentials are currently being passed as string values which anyone who opens the workflow can see.

I am hoping to make it so that if a colleague were to open the workflow, they would not be able to see the credentials that are passed into the python tool for the API call.

[jbravman_]

The way my company gets around password things like this is via a password vault like cyberark. workflows requires 3 tokens, at runtime it retrieves them allowing the end user to never see it. But also this cyberark only works on registered machines / alteryx server. so there isnt really an issue about end users getting it from their desktop.

You can try encrypting the password with sha256 or the like and then unencode it in python... Or maybe have a file on a shared drive that is password protected, use python to open the file, retrieve the password then pass it as a dataframe or the like in python. Have done that in a previous life without a cyberark. 

e: i suck at spelling.