Cybersecurity is on everyone's minds, and it starts from the inside for many businesses. Insiders are often responsible for data breaches — accidental and intentional — so robust authentication and authorization are a must. While authentication and authorization are two sides of the same access management coin, a thorough understanding of how they work is essential to enhance your cybersecurity.
Knowing how authentication is different from authorization elevates your security beyond simple access management. It helps you implement a comprehensive approach to keeping cybercriminals at bay.
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Authentication is the security process by which the identity provided by a user is recognized and verified to prove they are who they claim to be. When accessing an app or network, you must verify your identity with an authentication method like a password or passwordless authentication options such as biometrics.
Authentication can verify users, processes and devices. Depending on your business's authentication strategies, it can give you a robust first checkpoint in your cybersecurity profile. Almost all industries use authentication as part of their security, from retail staff accessing point-of-sale systems to high-security data centers protecting valuable data assets. Regardless of the business, confirming someone's identity is a fundamental step to keeping your digital assets safe.
Businesses can use several methods to authenticate people and devices, depending on the level of security, the number of employees and several other factors. You can break all forms of authentication down into three main groups:
Many organizations choose to employ a combination of authentication methods. This Multifactor Authentication (MFA) gives you an extra layer of security by combining biometrics, passwords, devices and even location and behavior to have a detailed approach to verifying that users are whom they claim.
Single Sign-On (SSO) is another common authentication method. It lets users log in to one application to access other applications. It's convenient, low friction and often relies on an Identity and Access Management (IAM) system that creates secure links between applications.
Authorization allows authenticated users to access applications or resources within your network based on their roles. In any business, there are varying levels of information, from public data on your website and internal communication for employees to confidential information for management. Authorization — or access management — allows the appropriate people to access the necessary levels of information.
Once you know a person is who they say; you can decide what resources they need to access and then grant them the appropriate permissions. In essence, authorization is the foundational concept that underpins access control strategies, and enables you to add layered security for users according to their duties and seniority.
The authorization process should always follow authentication to give your business the highest level of cyber security. Users must confirm their identities before their administrators decide whether there's a need to grant them access to specific functions and resources.
Like authentication, several methods exist to authorize users and grant them the appropriate permissions. Businesses can use one or a combination of authorization methods to elevate their security profile. Some standard authorization methods include the following:
Understanding the difference between authentication and authorization is essential for your security strategy. They're both essential tools in your business's security approach. Although the two protocols can work together, some key areas show how authentication differs from authorization, including the following:
A zero trust framework operates on a straightforward premise — always verify. As technology has evolved, the paradigm of centering cyber security around a specific location has become obsolete. Employees need to access their organization's networks from home or while on the move.
A zero trust security strategy requires all users to be authenticated, authorized and consistently validated before they can access applications and data. It gives businesses a robust solution to attempts at unauthorized access and layers of security so unauthorized users can't access your organization's sensitive data if there is a breach.
The Enhanced Identity Governance approach to Zero Trust proposed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) focuses on access policies which are based on identity and assigned attributes. Strong authentication coupled with privileged access management and identity management are foundational to this approach. Securing access to data and resources in this model ultimately rely on the ability to authenticate the subject and approve the request before granting access to make policy decisions. Authentication and authorization form part of a unified platform to create identity-based security cohesiveness.
Effective cyber security means using every resource to stay ahead of ever-changing threats. Combining a zero trust framework, Privileged Access Management like Bravura Privilege with robust Identity Access Management services and cutting-edge innovations like Bravura OneAuth is the ideal multilayered approach to enhancing your organization's overall cyber security.
Transform your digital identity and access security with the Bravura Security Fabric — the only IAM software suite bringing these dynamic resource entitlement access management tools into one platform, providing users with the power of one solution. Request a demo today to learn more about how Bravura Security's innovations can benefit your business.