MuleSoft Certified Associate Practice Exam

An API proxy enhances web service security primarily through the control of access via an API gateway. This function allows the proxy to manage and enforce security policies, such as authentication and authorization, ensuring that only permitted users and applications can access the underlying web services.

By serving as an intermediary between consumers and the actual services, the API proxy can validate incoming requests based on security rules. It might check API keys, tokens, or even more complex authentication mechanisms to verify identity and permissions. This level of access control helps to prevent unauthorized access and potential security breaches, ensuring that sensitive data and functions are protected from misuse.

While the other options do contribute to various aspects of security, they are more about building a complete security architecture rather than the primary function of an API proxy. User authentication, traffic auditing, and data encryption are important, but their execution often relies on the foundational access control provided by the API gateway within an API proxy configuration.