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

Which method of account authentication does OAuth 2.0 within REST APIs?
A . username/role combination
B . access tokens
C . cookie authentication
D . basic signature workflow

View Answer

Answer: B

Explanation:

OAuth 2.0 is a protocol that allows applications to obtain limited access to user accounts on an HTTP service, such as Facebook, GitHub, Google, and so on. It works by delegating user authentication to the service that hosts the user account and authorizing third-party applications to access the user account. OAuth 2.0 provides authorization flows for web and desktop applications, and mobile devices. In the context of REST APIs, OAuth 2.0 uses access tokens rather than credentials (like username and password) to access resources, which means the resource owner’s credentials are never shared with the client. The protocol operates through various grant types, catering to different application scenarios1.

References: “How to Implement OAuth 2.0 Authentication in RESTful APIs” from API Mastery1.