This 200-901 practice question tests your understanding of application deployment and security. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A company is implementing an API gateway for its microservices. Which TWO security features should be enabled at the gateway to protect backend services?
In-depth packet inspection.
Why wrong: More suitable for firewalls.
Database connection pooling.
Why wrong: Performance feature, not security.
JWT validation.
Authenticates API requests.
CORS configuration.
Why wrong: Related to browser security, not backend protection.
Rate limiting.
Prevents DoS and abuse.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
JWT validation.
JWT validation at the API gateway ensures that only requests with valid, unexpired, and properly signed JSON Web Tokens are forwarded to backend microservices. This offloads authentication and token verification from individual services, enforcing a consistent security boundary and preventing unauthorized access.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
In-depth packet inspection.
Why it's wrong here
More suitable for firewalls.
Database connection pooling.
Why it's wrong here
Performance feature, not security.
JWT validation.
Why this is correct
Authenticates API requests.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
CORS configuration.
Why it's wrong here
Related to browser security, not backend protection.
Rate limiting.
Why this is correct
Prevents DoS and abuse.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Cisco often tests the distinction between security features that protect the API layer (JWT validation, rate limiting) versus network-level or backend-specific features (DPI, connection pooling), leading candidates to confuse operational optimizations with security controls.
Detailed technical explanation
JWT validation at the gateway typically involves verifying the token's signature using a public key (RS256) or shared secret (HS256), checking the 'exp' claim, and optionally validating the 'iss' and 'aud' claims. Rate limiting is often implemented using token bucket or leaky bucket algorithms, with configurable thresholds per client IP or API key to prevent DDoS and brute-force attacks. In production, gateways like Kong or AWS API Gateway can cache JWK sets to reduce latency during repeated validation.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A practitioner preparing for the 200-901 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
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FAQ
Application Deployment and Security — This question tests Application Deployment and Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: JWT validation. — JWT validation at the API gateway ensures that only requests with valid, unexpired, and properly signed JSON Web Tokens are forwarded to backend microservices. This offloads authentication and token verification from individual services, enforcing a consistent security boundary and preventing unauthorized access.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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