Authentication is the process of verifying the identity of a user or system, essentially answering the question "who are you?". This typically involves checking credentials such as usernames and passwords, or biometric data, to confirm that a user is who they claim to be. In contrast, authorization occurs after successful authentication and determines "what you are allowed to do" or access. It evaluates an authenticated user's permissions and access rights to specific resources, data, or functionalities within a system. Therefore, the fundamental difference is that authentication verifies identity, while authorization grants or denies access based on that identity's privileges. One must generally be authenticated before any authorization checks can be performed, demonstrating their sequential yet distinct roles in securing systems. More details: https://skvagena.com.ua