Web API Development with Flask (Video 14)

The video tutorial covers the importance of securing RESTful APIs, focusing on authentication mechanisms. It explains basic HTTP authentication and its implementation in Flask, emphasizing the need for SSL/HTTPS for security. The tutorial also demonstrates testing authentication using Postman, ensuring the method works as expected. The next video will delve into HTTP caching and using ETags for API requests.

Why is it crucial to secure RESTful APIs, especially in applications like banking?

• To increase the speed of API responses

• To prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data

• To ensure compatibility with all browsers

• To reduce the cost of API development

What is a key limitation of basic HTTP authentication?

• It encrypts data by default

• It requires a complex setup process

• It does not encrypt data

• It is incompatible with SSL

What is the purpose of using SSL or HTTPS with basic HTTP authentication?

• To speed up data transmission

• To allow multiple users to log in simultaneously

• To provide an extra layer of security

• To simplify the authentication process

What does the authenticate method do in the context of a web page?

• It encrypts the user's data

• It changes the user's password

• It validates the user's credentials

• It logs the user out

How does the browser decide to display a login window during authentication?

• Based on the value of the WWW-Authenticate header

• Based on the HTTP method used

• Based on the size of the request payload

• Based on the URL of the request

What tool can be used to test the authentication method discussed?

• Visual Studio Code

• Postman

• Adobe Photoshop

• Microsoft Word

What HTTP status code indicates a successful authentication?

• 500

• 404

• 200

• 401