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350-401 · Question #594

What is one primary REST security design principle?

The correct answer is A. fail-safe defaults. Fail-Safe Defaults as a REST Security Principle Fail-safe defaults is a foundational REST security design principle, meaning that access to resources should be denied by default, and permissions must be explicitly granted. This principle ensures that if something goes wrong or…

Submitted by ngozi_ng· Mar 6, 2026Security

Question

What is one primary REST security design principle?

Options

  • Afail-safe defaults
  • Bpassword hash
  • Cadding a timestamp in requests
  • DOAuth

How the community answered

(40 responses)
  • A
    95% (38)
  • B
    3% (1)
  • D
    3% (1)

Explanation

Fail-Safe Defaults as a REST Security Principle

Fail-safe defaults is a foundational REST security design principle, meaning that access to resources should be denied by default, and permissions must be explicitly granted. This principle ensures that if something goes wrong or a rule is not defined, the system defaults to a secure (restricted) state rather than an open one - minimizing accidental exposure of data.

Why the distractors are wrong:

  • B (Password hash) is a general security technique for storing credentials, not a REST-specific design principle.
  • C (Adding a timestamp) is a tactic sometimes used to prevent replay attacks, but it is not a recognized core REST security principle.
  • D (OAuth) is an authorization framework/protocol - a tool used to implement security - not a design principle itself.

Memory Tip: Think of "fail-safe" like a locked door - the default state is locked (safe), and you must actively unlock it. The classic REST security design principles (derived from Saltzer & Schroeder) include fail-safe defaults, least privilege, and separation of privilege - remember them as the rules, while OAuth and hashing are just tools that follow those rules.

Topics

#REST security#Security principles#API security#Fail-safe defaults

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