What is one limitation of basic authentication in the context of API Gateway?

Basic authentication is a method where a user provides a username and password encoded in base64 for accessing resources, typically over HTTP. One notable limitation of basic authentication is that it is not the only supported method for securing APIs.

In most API Gateway implementations, there are multiple authentication techniques available, such as OAuth, API keys, and token-based authentication, among others. Basic authentication can be easily implemented but lacks the flexibility and security features offered by these other methods. For instance, more sophisticated methods like OAuth can provide better security through token expiration and scopes, which limit what actions a user can perform.

Since basic authentication is not the only supported method, it highlights its limitation in modern API security practices. Other options, such as requiring frequent password changes or additional approvals, are not inherent limitations of basic authentication but rather practices that can be applied based on organizational security policies. Additionally, basic authentication does not inherently provide strong encryption; that depends on whether it is used over HTTPS.