Authorization

Simple Definition for Beginners:

Authorization is the process of granting or denying access to specific resources or actions based on the verified identity of a user or system.

Common Use Example:

After logging into an online banking system (authentication), the system checks what functions you are allowed to perform, such as viewing your balance or transferring money. This process is called authorization.

Technical Definition for Professionals:

Authorization is a critical security mechanism that determines the permissions and access levels granted to users, systems, or applications after their identities have been authenticated.

It controls what authenticated entities can do within a system and ensures that only authorized actions are permitted.

• Access Control Lists (ACLs): Lists specifying which users or systems are granted access to particular resources and what actions they can perform.
• Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Assigning permissions to roles rather than individual users, simplifying management and ensuring that users have appropriate access based on their roles.
• Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC): Using attributes (such as user role, time of access, or location) to determine access rights.
• Policies: Rules that define the criteria for granting or denying access to resources, often managed through policy-based systems.
• Permissions: Specific access rights granted to users or roles, defining what actions they can perform on resources.
• Scopes: In the context of APIs, scopes define what resources and operations a client application can access.
• OAuth and OpenID Connect: Protocols that manage authorization for web applications and APIs, allowing users to grant third-party applications limited access to their resources.
• JWT (JSON Web Tokens): Encoded tokens that securely transmit information about the user and their permissions.

Authorization mechanisms are designed to protect sensitive data, ensure compliance with security policies, and prevent unauthorized access or actions that could compromise system integrity or data privacy.