Understanding Authorization vs. Authentication

Authorization and authentication serve distinct purposes in application security, with the former determining what a user can do within a system. Authentication, or AuthN, verifies a user's identity through credentials, similar to showing a passport at immigration. In contrast, authorization, or AuthZ, evaluates a user's permissions based on their identity and the specific actions they wish to perform. The podcast uses an analogy of customs officials deciding access based on visas to illustrate how authorization governs the capabilities of authenticated users.