Difference Between Authentication and Authorization in tabular form
Contents
Comparison between Authentication and Authorization
- The Basic Difference between authentication and authorization is that Authentication is the process of verifying who you are. When you log on to a PC with a user name and password you are authenticating.
- Authorization is the process of verifying that you have access to something. Gaining access to a resource (e.g. directory on a hard disk) because the permissions configured on it allow you access is authorization.
- In software, Authentication is validating that an entity is who or what it claims to be. Authorization is validating that a user can perform a given action.

Comparison Chart
Authorization Authentication | Authorization |
---|---|
Authentication is providing integrity control and security to the data. | It is protecting the data to ensure privacy and access control of data. Authorization is giving access to authorized users |
Authentication is the process of verifying who you are. |
Authorization is the process of verifies what you are authorized to do or not to do. |
Logging on to a PC with a username and password is authentication. | Accessing a file from hard disk is authorization because the permissions are given to you to access that file allows you access it that is authorization. |
Authentication usually requires a username and a password | Authentication factors required for authorization may vary, depending on the security level. |
More Differences
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- Difference Between Security and Integrity