Authentication vs Authorization vs Encryption
Authentication vs Authorization vs Encryption
What We’ll Be Learning
Authentication, authorization, and encryption are all key concepts in web security, but it’s easy to confuse them. In this article, you’ll learn what these concepts are, and what roles they play in web security.
Authentication
Authentication is the verification ofwho you are. For example, let’s say you’ve gone to a concert. At the front door, the security guard asks to see your ticket and ID in order to verify that the name on your ID matches the name on your ticket. This is an example of authentication.
Authentication relies on one or morefactorsto verify identity, and these factors come in three main types:
- Knowledge is something you know, like a username and password.
- Possession is something you have, like a security card or mobile device
- Inherence is something you are, which generally refers to biometric data such as fingerprints.
(There are additional factors, such as location and time, that can be used to complement existing factors, but are generally not suitable for authentication on their own)
Authentication that relies on a single factor, such as a simple username/password combo, is calledSingle-Factor Authentication, and is becoming increasingly insecure.
An image showing that the user only needs a password to log in to the website.
Authentication that requires multiple factors, such as a username/password combo and a code sent to a mobile device, is known asMulti-Factor Authentication. This is distinct from Multi-Stepauthentication, which requires multiple types of authentication within a single factor, such as a password and a PIN.
An image showing that the user needs a password, a code sent to their phone, and that same code inputted into the website before they can gain access.
Authorization
Authorization is the verification ofwhat you are allowed to do. Returning to our concert example, once the security guard has authenticated you, you then give your ticket to a different security guard who then only allows you to pass into General Admissions (instead of the VIP section). This is an example of authorization.
Authorization is very important for web security, and it is responsible for everything from preventing users from modifying each other’s accounts, to protecting back-end assets from attackers, to granting limited access to external services.
Good authorization will allow you to limit users and services to the privileges they require; just because a user is authorized to manage one group doesn’t mean they should be able to manage all groups, for example.
Encryption
One of the core tools for enforcing authentication and authorization isencryption. Encryption is the process of transforming data into a format that is unreadable unless you have the correctkeyto decrypt it. Encryption comes in two main types:
Symmetric encryptionuses the same key to encrypt and decrypt data.
An image showing the sender and recipient encrypting and decrypting with the same key.
Asymmetric encryptionuses separate keys for encryption and decryption.
An image showing the sender using one key to encrypt the data and the recipient using a different key to decrypt the data.
Conclusion
Authentication, authorization, and encryption are distinct but related concepts within cybersecurity, and all three are important for maintaining a secure environment. Authentication determines identity, authorization determines the privileges associated with an identity, and encryption ensures that data can only be accessed by authorized parties.
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