SAUTO Network Programmability Foundation Practice Question
Which THREE actions are essential when implementing a Python-based automation script that interacts with a Cisco REST API using the 'requests' library to ensure secure communication?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Always ensure the connection uses the 'https' protocol scheme in the URL.
Security best practices for API interaction include using HTTPS, managing secrets securely, and handling SSL certificate verification.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Always ensure the connection uses the 'https' protocol scheme in the URL.
Why this is correct
HTTPS ensures traffic encryption between the client and the API endpoint.
- ✗
Store API credentials in plain text in the script for easy portability.
Why it's wrong here
Hardcoding credentials is a major security risk.
- ✗
Disable SSL verification for all production API connections.
Why it's wrong here
Disabling SSL verification is dangerous in production environments.
- ✓
Use environment variables or a vault to store sensitive authentication tokens.
Why this is correct
Sensitive data should never be hardcoded in scripts.
- ✓
Use the 'verify=True' parameter in requests to validate the server's SSL certificate.
Why this is correct
Validating SSL is critical for preventing man-in-the-middle attacks.
About these practice questions
This SAUTO question is part of Courseiva's 281-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed August 2026 · checked against the official Cisco exam blueprint
This SAUTO practice question is part of Courseiva's free Cisco certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the SAUTO exam.