350-201 Question 269
Single answerA cybersecurity team is developing a script to interact with a Cisco API for automating security operations. To ensure secure API access, they decide to implement an authentication mechanism. Which of the following authentication methods would require the use of a unique string shared between the client and the API provider, typically stored securely and included in the request headers?
- A
Basic Authentication
- B
OAuth with Access Tokens
- C
Custom Token Authentication
- D
API Key Authentication
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: D
Explanation
API Key Authentication involves the use of a unique string that is shared between the client and the API provider. This key is included in the request headers and serves as a lightweight, straightforward method to authenticate API requests. It is suitable for scenarios where secure key storage is ensured and does not involve the complexity of OAuth or custom token generation.
- A. Incorrect.
Basic Authentication uses a username and password encoded in Base64, which is less secure than other methods and does not involve a unique string like an API key.
- B. Incorrect.
OAuth with Access Tokens is an authorization framework that uses tokens but is more complex, involving redirection and scopes, rather than a simple key shared between client and API provider.
- C. Incorrect.
Custom Token Authentication involves tokens designed for specific use cases but requires a server-side implementation to validate tokens, unlike an API key that is pre-shared.
- D. Correct.
API Key Authentication uses a unique, pre-shared string (API key) that is included in the request headers for authentication, fulfilling the requirement described in the question.