Top 30 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) only focused on the API Access Controls in WEB Security covering below topics,along with their answers and explanations.
• Discussing the importance of securing API access.
• Explaining how attackers might exploit weaknesses in API access controls.
1. Why is securing API access crucial in web security?
- To enhance website aesthetics
- To improve server performance
- To prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data and functionalities
- To speed up data transmission
Securing API access is crucial to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data and functionalities.
2. What is the primary purpose of API access controls?
- To determine user roles
- To restrict access to API documentation
- To prevent API usage
- To manage and regulate access to API resources
API access controls are designed to manage and regulate access to API resources.
3. How can inadequate API access controls impact web security?
- By improving website navigation
- By facilitating user authentication
- By enabling smooth data transmission
- By exposing sensitive data and functionalities to unauthorized users
Inadequate API access controls can impact web security by exposing sensitive data and functionalities to unauthorized users.
4. What is the role of API keys in API access controls?
- To define user roles
- To enhance website aesthetics
- To authenticate and authorize API requests
- To manage website navigation
API keys play a role in authenticating and authorizing API requests in access controls.
- To determine user roles
- To improve website navigation
- To prevent API usage
- To enable secure and delegated access to resources
OAuth is used for API access authorization to enable secure and delegated access to resources.
- API Enumeration
- API Access Bypass
- API Credential Harvesting
- API Brute Force
API Brute Force is the term for an attack where an attacker submits multiple authentication requests using various credentials to gain unauthorized access to an API.
7. How does API Rate Limiting contribute to security?
- By determining user roles
- By improving website navigation
- By preventing API abuse and denial-of-service attacks
- By encrypting sensitive data transmission
API Rate Limiting contributes to security by preventing API abuse and denial-of-service attacks.
8. What is the purpose of using API tokens in API access controls?
- To determine user roles
- To improve website navigation
- To facilitate data transmission
- To authenticate and authorize API requests
API tokens are used to authenticate and authorize API requests in access controls.
9. In API security, what does the term "JWT" stand for?
- JavaScript Web Token
- JSON Web Token
- Java Web Token
- Joint Web Token
In API security, "JWT" stands for JSON Web Token, a compact, URL-safe means of representing claims between two parties.
10. How can an attacker exploit insufficient input validation in API requests?
- By improving website navigation
- By gaining unauthorized access to API documentation
- By executing malicious code through API endpoints
- By managing API keys
An attacker can exploit insufficient input validation in API requests by executing malicious code through API endpoints.
11. What security mechanism can be employed to ensure that API requests are coming from legitimate and trusted sources?
- API Logging
- API Encryption
- API Authentication
- API Tokenization
API Authentication is a security mechanism used to ensure that API requests are coming from legitimate and trusted sources.
12. Why is it important to validate and sanitize input data in API requests?
- To determine user roles
- To improve website navigation
- To prevent injection attacks and data manipulation
- To manage API tokens
Validating and sanitizing input data in API requests is important to prevent injection attacks and data manipulation.
13. How can API versioning contribute to security?
- By determining user roles
- By improving website navigation
- By ensuring backward compatibility and providing security updates
- By encrypting sensitive data transmission
API versioning contributes to security by ensuring backward compatibility and providing security updates.
14. What is the purpose of using HMAC (Hash-Based Message Authentication Code) in API security?
- To determine user roles
- To improve website navigation
- To facilitate data transmission
- To authenticate and verify the integrity of API requests
HMAC is used in API security to authenticate and verify the integrity of API requests.
15. How does API Rate Limiting help mitigate brute force attacks?
- By determining user roles
- By improving website navigation
- By restricting the number of requests an attacker can make within a specified time period
- By encrypting sensitive data transmission
API Rate Limiting helps mitigate brute force attacks by restricting the number of requests an attacker can make within a specified time period.
- API Brute Force
- API Replay Attack
- API Injection
- API Cross-Site Scripting
An API Replay Attack is where an attacker intercepts and replays legitimate API requests to gain unauthorized access.
17. How can insecure direct object references (IDOR) impact API security?
- By determining user roles
- By improving website navigation
- By allowing unauthorized access to sensitive data through manipulated references
- By managing API keys
Insecure direct object references (IDOR) can impact API security by allowing unauthorized access to sensitive data through manipulated references.
18. What security measure can be implemented to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of data transmitted between an API client and server?
- API Logging
- API Rate Limiting
- API Encryption
- API Authentication
API Encryption is a security measure to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of data transmitted between an API client and server.
19. What is the purpose of using API tokens in API access controls?
- To determine user roles
- To improve website navigation
- To facilitate data transmission
- To authenticate and authorize API requests
API tokens are used to authenticate and authorize API requests in access controls.
20. How can an attacker exploit insufficient input validation in API requests?
- By improving website navigation
- By gaining unauthorized access to API documentation
- By executing malicious code through API endpoints
- By managing API keys
An attacker can exploit insufficient input validation in API requests by executing malicious code through API endpoints.
21. What security mechanism can be employed to ensure that API requests are coming from legitimate and trusted sources?
- API Logging
- API Encryption
- API Authentication
- API Tokenization
API Authentication is a security mechanism used to ensure that API requests are coming from legitimate and trusted sources.
22. Why is it important to validate and sanitize input data in API requests?
- To determine user roles
- To improve website navigation
- To prevent injection attacks and data manipulation
- To manage API tokens
Validating and sanitizing input data in API requests is important to prevent injection attacks and data manipulation.
23. How can API versioning contribute to security?
- By determining user roles
- By improving website navigation
- By ensuring backward compatibility and providing security updates
- By encrypting sensitive data transmission
API versioning contributes to security by ensuring backward compatibility and providing security updates.
24. What is the purpose of using HMAC (Hash-Based Message Authentication Code) in API security?
- To determine user roles
- To improve website navigation
- To facilitate data transmission
- To authenticate and verify the integrity of API requests
HMAC is used in API security to authenticate and verify the integrity of API requests.
25. How does API Rate Limiting help mitigate brute force attacks?
- By determining user roles
- By improving website navigation
- By restricting the number of requests an attacker can make within a specified time period
- By encrypting sensitive data transmission
API Rate Limiting helps mitigate brute force attacks by restricting the number of requests an attacker can make within a specified time period.
- API Brute Force
- API Replay Attack
- API Injection
- API Cross-Site Scripting
An API Replay Attack is where an attacker intercepts and replays legitimate API requests to gain unauthorized access.
27. How can insecure direct object references (IDOR) impact API security?
- By determining user roles
- By improving website navigation
- By allowing unauthorized access to sensitive data through manipulated references
- By managing API keys
Insecure direct object references (IDOR) can impact API security by allowing unauthorized access to sensitive data through manipulated references.
28. What security measure can be implemented to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of data transmitted between an API client and server?
- API Logging
- API Rate Limiting
- API Encryption
- API Authentication
API Encryption is a security measure to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of data transmitted between an API client and server.
29. In API security, what is the purpose of using OAuth?
- To determine user roles
- To improve website navigation
- To prevent API usage
- To enable secure and delegated access to resources
In API security, OAuth is used to enable secure and delegated access to resources.
30. How can API tokens enhance security in an API environment?
- By determining user roles
- By improving website navigation
- By facilitating data transmission
- By providing a secure means of authentication and authorization
API tokens enhance security in an API environment by providing a secure means of authentication and authorization.