Authentication and Authorization Defined: What's the Difference?

loginradius . Authentication Vs Authorization Consider authentication and authorization all about the attacker and less about the victim Authentication Authentication is the process of asserting the identity of a user before granting access into a system . In simple terms , it means verifying users by confirming who they say they are . OT Authentication are you who you say you are ? Verifies users to affirm if they are who they say they are . Difference Between Authentication And Authorization Both authentication and authorization confirm the identity of users and are often used interchangeably . But in reality , they perform different functions . Determines via . factors like username passwords , retina scan , facial recognition , etc. to identify users . Verifies user identities . Performed before authorization . B Authentication Data is transmitted through Token IDs . Example : Employees are required to authenticate themselves before they can access organizational emails . Password - Based Authentication 88 LOJ A user first creates an account by providing the necessary details , such as email address and password , and then accesses the account using the details . Passwordless Authentication Using this type of authentication , a user can either log in through a magic link or through an OTP delivered via email or text message . Social Authentication 80 This method uses existing credentials from social networking platforms such as Facebook , Twitter , Google , Microsoft , etc. to identity users . The user need not fill out any registration form . Multi - Factor Authentication Two - factor or multi - factor authentication may be used to include an extra security layer as a step - up and flexible authentication . API Authentication AuthN And AuthZ Techniques Understanding Authentication and Authorization Within The Organizational Environment API authentication is the process of certifying user identity attempting to access services on the server . Some of the most popular authentication APIs include : • Basic HTTP Authentication • Core API Authentication • OAuthentication Barcode Authentication This approach involves logging into computers or facilities without manual typing by scanning a barcode . Web applications make extensive use of it to authenticate users and provide access . Biometric Authentication It includes the use of distinctive biological Authorization Authorization refers to validating the roles , permissions , and privileges features of the individual to validate identity . The user's biometric data is captured and stored in the database which is then compared to confirm user authentication . assigned to a specific user . It is performed after authentication to grant or deny access rights to users for certain resources . Authorization are you allowed to do this action ? Authorization Validates access permissions . Confirms whether users have permission to access certain resources . Validates users ' permissions and privileges to access resources through pre - specified rules . OTT med after authentication . Data is transmitted through access tokens . Example : After successful authentication , employees ' are only allowed to access certain functions based on their roles . 1001 000 10 HTTP Authorization API keys This technique is used in both authentication and authorization . A user simply enters a username and password to prove their authentication . Since the HTTP header itself is leveraged , this method does not include cookies , session IDs , or login pages . This method is also used in both authentication and authorization . When the user tries to obtain authorized access to a system during registration , an API key is generated . Henceforth , it is paired with a hidden token and sent along with forwarding requests . When the user wants to re - enter the program , their unique key is used to validate the identity . | # # - HMAC Authorization Hash - Based Message Authentication Code ( HMAC ) : Most APIs allow users to sign in to an API key to use the API . The API key is a long string that you usually include either in the URL or header of the request . The API key acts primarily as a means of identifying the person calling the API . This method is used in both AuthN and AuthZ . OAuth OAuth 2.0 Authorization OAuth allows the API to authenticate and access the requested system or resource . OAuth 2.0 is one of the most secure methods of API authentication and supports both authentication and authorization . JWT JWT Authorization JSON Web Token ( JWT ) is an open standard for securely transmitting data between parties . It is another secure method of identification that supports both authentication and authorization . JWT is commonly used for authorization and can be signed using a secret or a public / private key pair . SAML SAML Authorization Security Assurance Markup Language ( SAML ) is an authentication and authorization system based on XML between two entities : a service provider and an Identity Provider . SAML is a standard Single Sign - On format ( SSO ) where authentication information is exchanged through XML documents that are digitally signed . OpenID OpenID Authorization OpenID Connect is an authentication layer on top of OAuth 2.0 , a framework for authorization . It allows clients to verify the end - user identity based on an Authorization Server's authentication , as well profile as to obtain interoperable and REST - like basic information about the end - user . 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