This AZ-204 practice question tests your understanding of implement azure security. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. A key principle to apply: jWTs are digitally signed to ensure integrity and authenticity.. 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.
An API receives JWT access tokens from Microsoft Entra ID. Which two token properties should the API validate before accepting a request? The architecture review board prefers a managed AWS-native control.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Issuer and signature are valid for the trusted tenant
Option A is correct because the API must validate the issuer (iss) claim to ensure the token was issued by a trusted tenant (e.g., https://login.microsoftonline.com/{tenant-id}/v2.0) and verify the token's digital signature using the public keys from the OpenID Connect metadata endpoint. This prevents tokens from untrusted tenants or forged tokens from being accepted.
Key principle: JWTs are digitally signed to ensure integrity and authenticity.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
Issuer and signature are valid for the trusted tenant
Why this is correct
Issuer and signature validation confirms the token came from the expected identity provider.
Related concept
JWTs are digitally signed to ensure integrity and authenticity.
✗
The user's display name is present
Why it's wrong here
Display name is not a security validation control.
✓
Token audience matches the API application ID URI or client ID
Why this is correct
The audience proves the token was issued for this API.
Related concept
JWTs are digitally signed to ensure integrity and authenticity.
✗
The token was sent in a query string
Why it's wrong here
Bearer tokens should not be accepted because they appear in query strings.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse 'claims that are present in the token' (like display name) with 'claims that must be validated for security' (issuer, audience, signature), leading them to select non-essential claims as validation requirements.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Token validation follows RFC 7519 and OpenID Connect Core 1.0: the API must check the 'aud' claim matches its own application ID URI or client ID to prevent token reuse across different applications, and the 'iss' claim must match the expected tenant's issuer URL. A subtle behavior is that Microsoft Entra ID uses JWKS endpoints (e.g., https://login.microsoftonline.com/{tenant}/discovery/v2.0/keys) for signature verification, and the 'kid' header in the JWT selects the correct key from the set.
KKey Concepts to Remember
JWTs are digitally signed to ensure integrity and authenticity.
The 'iss' claim identifies the token issuer (e.g., Microsoft Entra ID).
Signature validation uses the issuer's public key to verify the token's integrity.
The 'aud' claim specifies the intended recipient of the token.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
JWTs are digitally signed to ensure integrity and authenticity.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this AZ-204 question in full detail.
Review jWTs are digitally signed to ensure integrity and authenticity., then practise related AZ-204 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
Implement Azure security — This question tests Implement Azure security — JWTs are digitally signed to ensure integrity and authenticity..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Issuer and signature are valid for the trusted tenant — Option A is correct because the API must validate the issuer (iss) claim to ensure the token was issued by a trusted tenant (e.g., https://login.microsoftonline.com/{tenant-id}/v2.0) and verify the token's digital signature using the public keys from the OpenID Connect metadata endpoint. This prevents tokens from untrusted tenants or forged tokens from being accepted.
What should I do if I get this AZ-204 question wrong?
Review jWTs are digitally signed to ensure integrity and authenticity., then practise related AZ-204 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
What is the key concept behind this question?
JWTs are digitally signed to ensure integrity and authenticity.
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