Authentication involves a user proving their identity to a software system. Authorization is a complementary process in which that identity is used to control access to software system resources. For example, if you use a shared folder on Dropbox, the folder’s owner may authorize you to read the contents of that folder but not to add new files or overwrite files in the folder.
When a business wants to define the type of access that users get to resources, this is based on an access control policy. This policy is a set of rules that define what information (data and programs) is controlled, who has access to that information, and the type of access that is allowed (Figure 7.7).
Figure 7.7
Elements of an access control policy ...
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