Difference between Authentication vs Authorization

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Authentication and authorization, sounds similar? You may have heard these two words without knowing that they refer to different terminologies. But, if we consider them as technical terms, they refer to two completely different terms with totally different meanings. Both these terminologies are related to the branch of network security. Now, what network security actually is?

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Network Security

Network security means preventing unauthorized access from penetrating into our network infrastructure. Shortly, it is the technique of using physical or software measures to protect our network from malfunctioning, misuse or destruction.

While accessing the network, the user can access the network by sitting far away from the router or the device. For this process, the user should have remote access to the device. But, while gaining this access, there are various security issues which we have to prevent.

Some of these issues include the penetrating of the unauthorized user while accessing the network remotely. So, to avoid this, A-A-A i.e. the A-A-A framework is used. The A’s in the framework are as follows:-

– Authentication

– Authorization

– Accounting

Here, in this article, we will focus on the terms of authentication and authorization, what these terms refer to and what is the difference between them.

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Authentication

1. Username and password technique

Now firstly, let’s talk about the authentication. As the network is derived from humans and by humans, some terms are very common in the real world and the network world. One of these “such things” is the ‘Introduction’. While meeting face to face, our very first gesture is the handshake.

Later on, we introduce ourselves with the small intro of our name and the work we do. Human to the human introduction is comparatively easier (I am saying comparatively because actually, it’s not as it differs from person to person) but when we talk about the system and user interaction, how will the user will get introduced to the system is the serious concern. As a solution to this, the process of authentication is adopted.

Authentication vs Authorization