Table of Contents
- 1 Key Takeaways:
- 2 What Is Access Control?
- 3 What Are the Two Types of Access Control?
- 4 The Benefits of Access Control
- 5 Authentication vs. Authorization
- 6 What Is Authentication?
- 7 What Is Authorization?
- 8 Differences Between Authentication vs. Authorization
- 9 Conclusion: Why Authentication and Authorization Are Both Important
- 10 Identity.com
Key Takeaways:
In today’s interconnected digital economy, the Internet has revolutionized the way we work. The traditional office cubicle has been replaced by the ability to work from anywhere in the world. Due to this shift, remote workers and freelancers have become the “new normal” in the workforce. While this freedom has transformed the modus operandi of many companies, it has also introduced challenges such as data breaches, identity theft, and internet fraud. As a result, access control has become a critical topic for companies in 2023 and beyond.
What Is Access Control?
Access control is a security measure that protects organizations from cyber threats. Imagine a treasure room filled with valuable items like gold, diamonds, and precious jewelry. This room needs to be safeguarded, allowing access only to authorized individuals whose activities can be traced or monitored. The same concept applies to digital resources and tools.
Access control acts as a gatekeeper between a user and the data or resource they want to access. It determines “who” or “what” can access data, information, tools, or even a physical device. Through authentication and authorization, access control serves as a security interface, ensuring that the right person, at the right time, has the right level of access to the right resources.
What Are the Two Types of Access Control?
Access control comes in two forms: physical and logical. Understanding both is crucial for a comprehensive security strategy.
In Physical Access Control, the right people can access physical spaces such as rooms, data centers, campuses, offices, and physical IT assets or devices. It caters for the physical operational side of a business or organization. Additionally, it records the credentials users use to access the facilities to keep a record of who is entering and leaving.
A Logical Access Control system operates similarly but focuses on protecting digital files, data, resources, and computer networks.
The Benefits of Access Control
Below are some of the benefits of access control, though this list isn’t exhaustive; you can check out one of our blog posts on Identity and access management (IAM) that further details the benefits and risks of using access control:
- Security — Access to facilities and resources is limited to authorized personnel alone.
- Proper Guest Management — The system can easily issue a guest card or status to guests, simplifying guest management.
- Faster Collaboration and Productivity — With access control, there is less bureaucracy in how different levels of staff access data.
- Auditing, Accountability, and Reporting — The system can easily track and audit records of users’ activities when they visit a particular resource, data, or physical space.
- Easy Integration with Other Systems — The system can integrate other applications and tools while maintaining the existing authentication and authorization configuration.
- Compliance With Regulations — Access control drastically reduces data breaches, protecting organizations from non-compliance issues.
Authentication vs. Authorization
Access control consists of two main components: authentication and authorization. Authentication is the process of verifying someone’s claimed identity, while authorization determines what permissions or access a verified user has.
What Is Authentication?
In authentication, a system verifies a user’s identity by requiring them to provide credentials, like passwords, security tokens, or biometric data, proving they are who they claim to be. Organizations use these credentials to verify the user’s identity against information stored in their databases.
If the credentials are valid, the user gains access to the system and its protected resources. This ensures only authorized users access sensitive data, critical systems, and physical locations, keeping them out of reach of unauthorized individuals.
By verifying identities, authentication helps businesses restrict access to confidential information, critical systems like servers and databases, and physical locations like buildings.
Authentication Examples
Authentication verifies a user’s identity by requiring them to provide credentials proving they are who they claim to be. Here are some common methods:
- Password Authentication: Password authentication grants access by requiring a username or ID and a secret password known only to the user. Various platforms, including social networks and data centers, rely on password-based authentication. However, weak passwords make systems vulnerable to brute-force attacks.
- Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): 2FA and MFA add extra security layers to verify user identity. These methods typically involve a password and a one-time code (OTP) delivered by text message, an authentication app, or other means. Multiple authentication factors make unauthorized access significantly harder.
- Biometric AuthenticationBiometric authentication uses a person’s distinct physical traits or behavioral patterns, such as facial recognition or fingerprint scanning, to verify their identity. Because biometric characteristics are difficult to forge, this method offers strong security.
- Smart Cards or Security Tokens: Physical tokens called smart cards can store cryptographic keys or digital certificates. Users insert or present these tokens for authentication. The system verifies the user by comparing the information on the token with the information stored in its database. Owning the physical device adds an extra layer of security.
- Public Key Infrastructure (PKI): PKI uses asymmetric encryption with public and private key pairs to verify users. Users keep their private key secret, while the public key is available to anyone. PKI binds public keys to user identities when issuing digital certificates. Users sign data with their private key, and the system verifies the signature using the corresponding public key. This approach limits decryption access to users with the correct private key, ensuring user identity verification.
What Is Authorization?
Authorization determines what a verified user can do within an organization’s resources or systems. It essentially decides a user’s access level, such as creating, editing, or deleting files and other resources.
Typically, an access control system manages authorization and ensures users only access permitted resources. This prevents data leaks and unauthorized access. Effective authorization assigns permissions based on user roles and business needs. Roles, job functions, group memberships, and organizational structures all influence a user’s authorization level.
Authorization Examples
- Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): RBAC assigns permissions based on predefined roles (administrator, manager, employee, etc.). Users inherit the permissions associated with their assigned roles. This simplicity makes RBAC scalable for large organizations.
- Discretionary Access Control (DAC): DAC grants access control to the owner of a resource. The owner can specify who can access the resource (files, folders, applications) using Access Control Lists (ACLs). This model is less scalable for managing access for many users.
- Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC): ABAC grants access based on a variety of user, resource, and situational attributes. This allows for more granular control. For example, an auditor might only be allowed to access financial data during work hours from the office network.
- Mandatory Access Control (MAC): MAC enforces access based on centrally defined security labels. These labels are assigned to users and resources. A user can only access a resource if their security level matches or exceeds the resource’s label. This model offers strong security but requires central management.
Differences Between Authentication vs. Authorization
If you are seeking a brief overview, here is a quick comparison between authentication and authorization:
S/N | Authentication | Authorization |
1 | Authentication is the process of making sure someone or something is who they say they are. | Authorization is the process by which permission to access data or resources is given or taken away from verified users. |
2 | It verifies users’ identities using different methods, and it becomes the foundation on which authorization is built. | It determines what action a user can take or what resources they can access after they’ve been authenticated. |
3 | For users to prove their identities, they can use methods like passwords, biometrics, security tokens, and two-factor authentication (2FA). | It uses role-based access control (RBAC, attribute-based access control (ABAC), discretionary access control (DAC), mandatory access control (MAC), and others. |
4 | The main goal of authentication is to stop unauthorized people from accessing the system and to keep sensitive information safe. | The main goal of authorization is to make sure that users have the right level of access based on their responsibilities and security policies. |
Conclusion: Why Authentication and Authorization Are Both Important
To conclude, authentication and authorization both uniquely and complementarily protect the confidentiality of systems, data, and resources. Authentication grants access to the correct individuals, while authorization appropriately assigns and manages access rights. Despite their differences, people often use authentication and authorization interchangeably, highlighting their interdependence in achieving data security goals. Together, they form the foundation of a strong security infrastructure that protects sensitive and critical digital assets. They also enhance the security of an organization’s overall digital system.
Identity.com
As a blockchain technology startup developing identity management solutions, we understand the value and significance of access control within an organization. More reason for Identity.com’s continued involvement in identity management systems and protocols that contribute to this future. We also belong to the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), the standards body for the World Wide Web.
The work of Identity.com as a future-oriented company is helping many businesses by giving their customers a hassle-free identity verification process. Identity.com is an open-source ecosystem providing access to on-chain and secure identity verification. Our solutions improve the user experience and reduce onboarding friction through reusable and interoperable gateway passes. Please get in touch or see our FAQs page for more information about how we can help you with identity verification and general KYC processes.