Authentication & Authorization

In system design, authentication and authorization are critical for security. They control who can access your system and what they can do.

• Authentication (AuthN) verifies who you are.
• Authorization (AuthZ) determines what you're allowed to do.

Think of it like a club: authentication is checking your ID at the door, authorization is seeing if you have a VIP pass to enter special areas.

Authentication is the process of proving your identity to a system. This confirms that you are who you claim to be.

Common authentication methods include:

• Password-based: Username and password.
• Multi-factor: Combining passwords with codes from an app or SMS.
• Biometric: Fingerprints or facial recognition.
• Token-based: Using a cryptographic token after initial login.