{"id":651,"date":"2020-02-07T15:34:00","date_gmt":"2020-02-07T15:34:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/?p=651"},"modified":"2021-01-07T08:15:48","modified_gmt":"2021-01-07T08:15:48","slug":"the-difference-between-authentication-and-authorization-explained-in-detail-by-a-security-expert","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/the-difference-between-authentication-and-authorization-explained-in-detail-by-a-security-expert\/","title":{"rendered":"The Difference Between Authentication and Authorization \u2014 Explained in Detail by a Security Expert"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Authentication vs. authorization \u2014 what these two terms are and why should you care about them<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

People tend to get confused between the words \u201cauthentication\u201d and \u201cauthorization\u201d because they sound and are spelled in a somewhat similar manner. And while the terms appear similar on the surface, their goals are different \u2014 the first is about figuring out who you are<\/strong>, and the other focuses on verifying whether you\u2019re allowed to do something<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although they have different meanings and serve different functions, authentication and authorization are both essential concepts of identity and access management (IAM) and good security design. In this article, we\u2019ll explore what these terms entail and discuss examples from real-life scenarios. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, without further delay, let\u2019s explore authentication vs. authorization in detail. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authentication vs. Authorization: What\u2019s the Difference Between Authentication and Authorization?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Authentication is one of the stepping-stones for authorization<\/strong>: Only after you\u2019re authenticated, you gain authorization, but typically not vice versa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, I need my user ID and password to authenticate<\/strong> myself to Facebook and log in to my account. Once I authenticate myself, I\u2019m authorized<\/strong> to make changes to my Facebook profile. But if I forget my credentials, I can\u2019t log in to my account. Hence, I can\u2019t use my privileges (authorization)<\/strong> until I successfully pass through the authentication <\/strong>phase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both the concepts have different levels:<\/strong> Even after authenticating myself, can I change the entire Facebook’s color from blue to pink? Absolutely not! So, when I log in as a user<\/strong>, Facebook does authorize<\/strong> me to post text and media on my account, manage my friend list, and make some other account-specific changes. But I am not authorized to make changes in their website\u2019s coding, CSS, or databases. For that, I need to authenticate myself to be Facebook’s webmaster, admin, development manager, or Mark Zuckerberg!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Human Intelligence Vs. Machines in Authentication and Authorization<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In a real-life, human intelligence is an important part of the authentication and authorization processes. So, let\u2019s say, a cop asks for your driver\u2019s license and you show him a license with Donald Trump\u2019s name and picture on it. The cop instantly knows that the license is fake. He would also consider you ineligible to drive until you provide an authentic license that has information that matches your description. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, in the digital world, authentication isn\u2019t as\nclear-cut. For example, if you were to use Trump\u2019s correct user ID and password\non Twitter, the system will instantly believe you and give access to his\naccount and all the privileges that entails. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As you can see, although machines have made our lives way more comfortable, it is easy to defraud them. There are many types of advanced cyberattacks (such as cross-site scripting (XSS), SQL injection, DDoS attacks, cross-site request forgeries, etc.) that hackers can deceive the authentication and authorization process to commit cybercrimes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That’s why businesses must set the authentication and\nauthorization policies carefully and with due vigilance.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authorization and Authentication Within an Organizational Environment <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In all organizations, authentication and authorization are separate but related processes. If your organization fails in the authentication step (i.e., if it doesn’t have a robust verification system like strong passwords, biometrics, etc. to correctly authenticate users), then outsiders<\/strong> can access whatever information is available to that account based on its privileges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your organization doesn\u2019t implement authorization strategically and hands out unnecessary levels of access, then you\u2019re increasing the risk of data leaks, data breaches, and other damage from insider threats<\/strong>. For example, if an employee decides to steal critical company databases, files, documents, resources, and sell them to competitors, or on the dark web, then you\u2019ve essentially handed them the keys to your kingdom. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, please make sure you carefully set the permission and\naccess rights of all the employees. You must also encourage employees to set\nstrong passwords or use password managers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authorization and Authentication in WordPress <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re running a WordPress<\/a> site with having multiple\ncontributors such as co-authors, editors, designers, WP developers, etc., make\nsure you pay equal attention to the authentication and authorization.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For robust authentication, you need to use plugins like Force\nStrong Passwords<\/strong>, which forces all users to create strong passwords. You\ncan also use password managers like Password Pointer, 1Password, LastPass,\nSecure Password Generator, Disable Post Passwords<\/strong>, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To mitigate unauthorized access via brute force attacks, use\nplugins like Limit Login Attempts, Loginizer, or WPS Limit Login. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For authorization, you could limit other contributors\u2019 functions and permissions. Only you should have 100% control over your admin panel, and others should only have access to the functionalities that are necessary for them to do their job.\u00a0You can also set a separate password to access some parts of your admin dashboard, via .htaccess or cPanel to protect crucial parts of the admin dashboard. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s Authentication and How Does It Work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the most basic sense, authentication<\/strong> refers to the\nprocess of confirming someone’s identity. To confirm a person’s identity through\nnon-digital means, documents such as passports, driver\u2019s licenses, state ID,\nsocial security cards, etc. are used as a part of the authentication process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the digital world, though, we rely on machines and\nartificial intelligence to verify users’ identities. To make sure it is dealing\nwith the same person they are claiming to be, the machine needs to use\nauthentication methods such as passwords, one-time passwords (OTPs), and biometrics.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The authentication methods are selected from three main\ntypes of information: <\/p>\n\n\n\n