How can you secure a REST API using Spring Security?
A) By using Basic Authentication, OAuth2, or JWT tokens
B) By storing user credentials in plain text
C) By implementing only GET requests
D) By disabling HTTPS
Answer:
A) By using Basic Authentication, OAuth2, or JWT tokens
Explanation:
Securing a REST API with Spring Security can be done using several methods, including Basic Authentication, OAuth2, and JWT (JSON Web Token) tokens. Each method provides different levels of security and is suitable for different scenarios.
- Basic Authentication: Sends the user’s credentials with each request, encoded in base64. It is simple but less secure and generally used for smaller or less critical applications.
- OAuth2: Provides a more secure way of handling authorization, allowing users to grant third-party applications access to their resources without sharing credentials.
- JWT Tokens: JWT tokens are used to authenticate and authorize requests in a stateless manner. The token, once issued by an authentication server, is passed with each request and can be verified by the server without needing to store session data.
Using these methods helps protect REST APIs from unauthorized access, ensuring that only authenticated and authorized users can interact with the API.