Authentication and Authorization
What Is Authentication?
Authentication is the process of verifying that a user, device, or system is who or what it claims to be, typically through credentials such as passwords, biometrics, or security tokens.
What Is Authorization?
Authorization determines what an authenticated user is permitted to do - which resources they can access and what actions they can perform - based on assigned permissions or roles.
Authentication vs Authorization
| Aspect | Authentication | Authorization |
|---|---|---|
| Question Answered | Who are you? | What can you do? |
| Occurs | Before authorization | After authentication |
| Example | Entering a username and password | Being granted read/write access to a file |
Why Both Matter
Strong authentication without proper authorization can allow verified users to access resources beyond their need, while strong authorization without authentication offers no real protection at all - both must work together for effective access control.
Verifying who a user is and what they can do is only as strong as the login process itself - which is why Multi-Factor Authentication adds a critical extra layer.
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