Learn about authentication and authorization along with their differences and similarities. Also, know why it is important for businesses to implement both authorization and authentication
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Authentication and authorization terms are often used interchangeably by many, but they are two completely different concepts. Both are crucial in ensuring the security of resources in any application or system. Businesses should efficiently configure both authentication and authorization in their application to ensure the utmost security.

This article details the concepts of both authorization and authorization along with the following:

• How authentication and authorization work
• Types of authentication and authorization
• Difference between authentication and authorization or authentication vs. authorization
• Similarities between authorization and authentication
• Examples of authorization and authentication

What is Authentication

Authentication is the process of verifying the identity of a user. Authentication is the first step in the access control process. It ensures that only the intended user is able to access the system.

Generally, the user is required to provide the credentials (username and password) to perform the authentication process. Also, there are many other forms of authentication that include biometrics, such as fingerprints or voice recognition, OTP, or a security token.

How Authentication Works?

The following explains how usually authentication process works:

1. User request access to a protected resource
2. The application prompts the user to provide authentication credentials (e.g., username and password)
3. The user inputs their credentials
4. The application checks the credentials against a set of known valid credentials
5. If the credentials match, the user is authenticated
6. If the credentials do not match, the application denies access and prompts the user to try again or reset the credential.
7. After authenticating the user, the application proceeds with the authorization process to determine what level of access the user has based on their identity.

Common Types of Authentication Methods

Authentication typically uses something users know, something users have, or something users are. Following are the common types of authentication methods divided across these three factors:

1. Something Users Know

To verify the user’s identity, this uses information that the user knows, such as passwords or answers to pre-set questions. The following are two examples of something users know method:

• Password-based authentication
• Security question authentication

2. Something Users Have

To verify the user’s identity, this uses information that the user has, such as mobile phone and hardware key. The following are examples of authentication based on something users have:

• Hardware token or USB authentication
• SMS-based authentication
• Push notification authentication

3. Something Users Are

To verify the user’s identity, this type of authentication method uses information that the user is, such as fingerprint, face scan, and retina scan. The following are examples of authentication based on something users have:

• Biometric authentication
• Keystroke-based authentication (this is based on how the user types or applies pressure during the keystroke, thus falls under the something users are method.)

There are more common authentication methods like Multi-factor authentication, single sign-on, email magic link, email OTP, passkeys, and social login, etc.

Know more about various authentication methods with their pros and cons.

Before digging into how authentication is different from authorization, let’s have a quick look at what authorization is, how it works, and common types of authorization methods.

What is Authorization

The authorization process determines what a user is allowed to do on an application. It involves granting access to resources based on the user’s identity and their permissions within the application. Authorization usually follows authentication.

How Authorization Works?

1. After authentication, the user requests access to a protected resource

2. The application checks the user’s identity and role

3. The application compares the user’s role against a set of defined permissions for the requested resource

4. If the user has the necessary permissions, the application grants access to the resource

5. If the user does not have the necessary permissions, the application denies access and may provide an error message or redirect the user to a different page

6. The application may also check for additional constraints such as time of access, IP address, location, or device based on business requirements.

7. The application continues to check for authorization every time the user requests access to a protected resource throughout the session.

Common Types of Authorization Methods

The following are the common types of authorization methods:

1. Role-based Authorization

Role-based authorization assigns access rights to users based on their roles within the organization, such as administrator, manager, or regular user. It is a common method of controlling access to resources within an organization.

This approach allows for a more granular level of control over access to resources and can be easily adjusted as roles and responsibilities within the organization change.

2. Attribute-based Authorization

Attribute-based authorization grants access rights to users based on their attributes or characteristics, such as age, location, or job title. It is a flexible method of controlling access to resources. This approach allows for a more fine-grained level of control over access to resources as it can be based on multiple factors rather than just a role.

This can be useful in situations where access needs to be restricted based on certain conditions, such as location or time of day.

3. Rule-based Authorization

Rule-based authorization grants access rights to users based on specific conditions or criteria. It allows for a high level of flexibility and granularity, as the rules can be tailored to the specific needs of the organization.

It can be used in conjunction with role-based or attribute-based authorization for even more fine-grained control over access to resources.

4. Permission-based Authorization

Permission-based authorization grants access rights to users based on their permission level within the organization, such as read, write, or execute, for different resources.

It allows for a more granular level of control over access to resources, as users can be granted specific permissions for different resources rather than a general level of access.

Important: Permission-based authorization is often used in conjunction with other types of authorization, such as role-based or attribute-based, for even more fine-grained control over access to resources.

5. Discretionary Authorization

Discretionary authorization is a method of controlling access to resources by granting users the discretion to decide who has access to the resources they control.

This approach allows users to decide who can access the resources they own or manage and can be useful in situations where the access decision needs to be made quickly or by someone familiar with the specific circumstances.

Discretionary authorization is often used in conjunction with other types of authorization, such as role-based or permission-based, for a more comprehensive access control system.

Authentication vs. Authorization

Here you can check the key differences between authentication and authorization, two crucial components of security that work together to ensure safe and secure access to resources.

Authentication

1. Verifies the identity of a user or device
2. Works based on passwords, OTPs, biometrics, security questions, etc.
3. Takes place at the beginning of a session
4. It is the first step in ensuring security, and it is essential for maintaining the integrity of an application
5. Data generally moves through ID tokens
6. Parts of authentication process is visible to users
7. Users can change their authentication credentials
8. Example: Consider the example of an Employee Portal in any organization. All employees of an organization can access this portal after providing their credentials

Authorization

1. Grants or denies access to specific resources based on that verified identity
2. Works based on assigned roles or permissions by admin or security user
3. Takes place throughout the session as the user attempts to access different resources
4. It is the second step, and it is essential for maintaining the confidentiality of an application
5. Data generally moves through access tokens
6. Entire authorization process takes place in the background
7. Users can’t change their access level
8. Example: For the same Employee Portal, the access levels of all employees are different depending on their roles, i.e., general employees, managers, account teams, HR teams, etc. For example, the HR team can see the personal information of all employees, the account team can access details of taxation of all employees, managers can see the basic information of their subordinates, and those subordinates can only access and view their own details.

The examples above denote the vital difference between authentication and authorization.

Similarities between Authentication and Authorization

The relationship between authentication and authorization and authorization vs. authentication are most sought-after questions. Authorization and authentication have several similarities, including:

• Both are related and often used together in the security process, authentication is the first step that verifies the identity of the user, and authorization is the second step that verifies the user’s access level or permissions.
• Both are essential for maintaining the security of an application.
• Both are used in many different types of systems, including applications and computer networks.
• Both use a variety of methods for implementation. Authentication uses password-based, biometric, or multi-factor authentication, while authorization can be implemented with various methods, such as role-based or rule-based access control.
• Both play a role in safeguarding the integrity and maintaining the confidentiality of an application.

Why Should Businesses Implement Both Authentication and Authorization?

Businesses should implement both authentication and authorization because they serve different but complementary purposes. As already discussed, authentication is the process of verifying the identity of a user, device, or other entity, while authorization is the process of granting or denying access to resources based on the authenticated identity.

Together, they provide a layered approach to security, helping to ensure that only authorized users can access sensitive resources. By implementing both authentication and authorization, businesses can:

• Prevent unauthorized access
• Protect sensitive data
• Comply with industry regulations

Without authentication, any user could potentially access sensitive resources, leading to security breaches and data loss.

Without authorization, a separate access level cannot be maintained for users. For example, a user with the role of “admin” may have access to sensitive resources, while a user with the role of “guest” may only have access to limited resources.

Wrap Up

In summary, understanding the difference between authentication and authorization and then implementing both authentication and authorization helps to provide more secure and controlled access to sensitive information and resources, thus reducing the risk of security breaches for your business.