Which method of account authentication does OAuth 2.0 use within REST APIs?

Question

Options

• Ausername/role combination
• Baccess tokens
• Ccookie authentication
• Dbasic signature workflow

• A
  3% (1)
• B
  93% (27)
• C
  3% (1)

Explanation

OAuth 2.0 and REST API Authentication

OAuth 2.0 uses access tokens to authenticate requests within REST APIs. After a user grants authorization, the OAuth 2.0 framework issues a token (typically a Bearer token) that the client includes in API request headers - this allows secure, delegated access without exposing user credentials.

Why the distractors are wrong:

• A (username/role combination) describes role-based access control (RBAC), which is an authorization concept, not OAuth 2.0's authentication mechanism
• C (cookie authentication) is a session-based method used primarily in traditional web applications, not the token-based approach OAuth 2.0 employs
• D (basic signature workflow) describes older methods like HTTP Basic Auth or OAuth 1.0, which used cryptographic signatures - OAuth 2.0 specifically moved away from this complexity

Memory Tip: Think of an OAuth 2.0 access token like a temporary visitor badge - it grants access without revealing your permanent credentials (password), and it expires after a set time. The word "access" in access token directly mirrors OAuth's purpose of granting access.

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