Authentication verifies that users are who they say they are, while Authorization allows these users to access a resource.
Authentication and Authorization
Authentication is the process of verifying that users are who they claim to be. Passwords are one of the most common ways to authenticate a user on a system. If the username matches the password provided by the user, it means that the ID is valid and the system continues to grant access to the user.
Other ways to authenticate users include:
One-time pins (OTP) – These provide access for only one session or transaction.
Authentication apps – They generate security codes through an outside party granting access.
Biometrics – Here, a user submits a fingerprint or eye scan to access the system.
Some systems may require successful verification of multiple authentication factors before granting access to a user. This is called two-factor authentication (2FA) or multi-factor authentication (MFA) and is often used to increase security beyond what passwords alone can provide.
Authorization is the process of granting a user permission to access a particular resource or function in a system. This term is often used interchangeably with access control or client privilege.
Popular authorization techniques include:
Role-based access controls (RBAC) – Applicable for system-to-system and user-to-system privilege management.
JSON web token (JWT) – This is an open standard for securely transmitting data between parties and users are authorized using a public/private key pair.
SAML – This is a standard Single Sign-on format (SSO). Here, authentication information is exchanged via digitally signed XML documents.
OpenID authentication – This authenticates the user based on the authentication of an authorization server.
OAuth – This allows an API to authenticate and access a requested system or resource.
What is the difference?
Let's Explain By Comparison
Both terms are often used in conjunction with each other when it comes to security and system access. Both terms are very important topics that are often associated with the web as essential parts of service infrastructure. However, these two terms are quite different with completely different concepts. Now you are wondering what these terms are, they are known as authentication and authorization. Authentication means verifying your own identity while authorization means allowing access to the system. In even simpler terms, authentication is the process of verifying oneself, while authorization is the process of verifying what you have access to.
Verification
Authentication is about verifying your credentials like Username/UserID and password to verify your identity. The system then checks that you said you are using your credentials. Whether on public or private networks, the system authenticates the user through login passwords. Usually authentication is done with a username and password, although there are various other ways to authenticate.
Authentication factors determine the many different elements that the system uses to authenticate a person before granting individual access to anything. An individual can be identified based on what the person knows, and when it comes to security, at least two or three authentication factors must be verified to allow someone into the system. Depending on the security level, authentication factors can be different from one of the following:
Single Factor Authentication: This is the simplest authentication method that requires a password to gain user access to a particular system such as a website or network. A person can request access to the system using only one of their credentials to verify their identity. For example, only asking for a password against a username could be a way to verify login credentials using single-factor authentication.
Two-Factor Authentication: This authentication requires a two-step verification process that requires not only a username and password, but also a piece of information that only the user knows. Using a username and password along with confidential information makes it much harder for hackers to steal valuable and personal data.
Multi-Factor Authentication: This is the most advanced authentication method that requires two or more security levels from independent authentication categories to provide user access to the system. This form of authentication uses independent factors to eliminate any data gaps. It is common for financial institutions, banks, and law enforcement agencies to use multi-factor authentication.
Authorization
Authorization takes place after your identity has been successfully authenticated by the system, and therefore it provides you with information, files, databases, funds, etc. Provides full access to resources such as However, authorization only validates your rights to grant you access to resources after determining your ability to access. system and to what extent. In other words, authorization is the process of determining whether the authenticated user has access to certain resources. A good example of this is once the employee ID and passwords have been verified and validated through authentication, the next step is to determine which employee has access to which floor, and this is done through authorization.
Access to a system is protected by authentication and authorization, and they are often used in conjunction with each other. While both have different concepts behind them, they are critical to the web service infrastructure, especially when it comes to granting access to a system. Understanding each term is crucial and an important aspect of security.
Kimliq Identity Deduplication and Management Software gives you an at-a-glance view of user permissions; This means you can easily grant and revoke access to your systems and tools whenever you need them. Meanwhile, Kimlock MFA allows you to protect your infrastructure behind the authentication factors of your choice.
For example, you can enable administrative applications only for certain users who may need to authenticate using both organizational credentials and SMS authentication. You can activate these options in different methods according to the user type.
Marta Technology | Authentication and Authorization