Authentication vs authorization in HLD - Quick Revision & Key Differences

Recall & Review

beginner

What is authentication in system design?

Authentication is the process of verifying who a user is. It checks the user's identity, usually by asking for credentials like username and password.

beginner

What does authorization mean in system design?

Authorization is the process of checking what a user is allowed to do. It controls access to resources based on user permissions.

beginner

How are authentication and authorization different?

Authentication answers "Who are you?" while authorization answers "What can you do?" Authentication happens before authorization.

beginner

Give a real-life example of authentication and authorization.

Logging into your email is authentication (proving who you are). Being able to read emails but not change account settings is authorization (what you can do).

intermediate

Why is it important to separate authentication and authorization?

Separating them helps keep systems secure and organized. Authentication confirms identity once, then authorization controls access many times based on that identity.

Which process verifies a user's identity?

A Authentication

B Authorization

C Encryption

D Data validation

Authentication is the process of verifying who a user is.

What does authorization control?

A Password strength

B User identity

C User permissions

D Network speed

Authorization controls what a user is allowed to do based on permissions.

Which happens first in a secure system?

A Authorization

B Authentication

C Data backup

D Logging out

Authentication happens before authorization to confirm user identity.

If a user can log in but cannot access admin pages, what is this an example of?

A Authentication failure

B Data corruption

C Network error

D Authorization restriction

The user is authenticated but restricted by authorization rules.

Which of these is NOT part of authentication?

A Role assignment

B Fingerprint scan

C Password check

D Two-factor verification

Role assignment is part of authorization, not authentication.

Explain the difference between authentication and authorization with an example.

Think about logging into a website and what you can do after logging in.

Why should authentication and authorization be handled separately in system design?

Consider what happens if you mix verifying identity and checking permissions.