AZ-204 Practice Question: Connect to and consume Azure services and third-party services
Which TWO are best practices for securing an Azure API Management instance?
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
✓
Require subscription keys for all APIs
Correct answers: B and D. Requiring subscription keys helps secure APIs by enforcing a per-call authentication mechanism. OAuth 2.0 with Azure AD provides robust, token‑based authentication for API consumers. Option A (exposing the management endpoint) is insecure and should be restricted. Option C (rate limits) prevent resource exhaustion, not brute‑force attacks—that’s a different security control. Option E (sharing keys via email) is a security risk and not a best practice.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Expose the management endpoint publicly for easy configuration
Why it's wrong here
Management endpoints should be restricted.
- ✓
Require subscription keys for all APIs
Why this is correct
Subscription keys provide a basic level of access control.
- ✗
Set rate limits to prevent brute force attacks
Why it's wrong here
Rate limiting is for throttling, not authentication security.
- ✓
Use OAuth 2.0 with Azure AD to authenticate API consumers
Why this is correct
OAuth 2.0 provides robust authentication and authorization.
- ✗
Share API keys with partners via email
Why it's wrong here
Sharing keys via email is insecure.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This AZ-204 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Microsoft 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 AZ-204 exam.