Servicenow Rest API call to check if credentials are valid - rest

Question

I am calling ServiceNow Rest API for tables in my application. I allow the user to enter their servicenow instance credentials and domain url in my application.
I want to know if there is a Simple API call which I can make to ensure that the credentials entered are valid.
Currently I am making a call to get sys_user table and making the check.
This call seems to take more time. Is there a simpler REST URL which I can use here?
public static HttpConnectionResponse checkConnection(String host, String username, String password) {
String CHECK_URL = "/api/now/table/sys_user";
HttpConnectionResponse response = new HttpConnectionResponse();
String completeUrl = "https://"+host+CHECK_URL;
HashMap<String, String> requestHeaders = ConnectionUtils.getDefaultInputHeader();
Credential credential = ConnectionUtils.populateCredentials(username, password);
try{
response = HttpConnectorClient.getMethod(completeUrl, requestHeaders, credential);
}
catch(Exception e){
e.printStackTrace();
}
return response;
}

Answer 1

Why not just use any table or record that you've set to be accessible to any authenticated user, then make a REST API call with their credentials as the basic authentication credentials, to that resource? If you get the record rather than "access denied", the creds are valid. :-)
You could even make a simple UI page, or better yet, a Processor, just for that purpose.