Authentication vs authorization: What’s the difference?

Authentication and authorization are two of the most misunderstood concepts in identity and access management. IT teams sometimes confuse them, then we have vendors using them interchangeably.

The confusion is understandable because both processes are critical for access control, and they work closely together. But they solve fundamentally different problems. Authentication is about proving who you are. Authorization is about controlling what you can do once your identity is verified.

Getting this distinction wrong has real consequences. You end up with systems where people can easily log in but have inappropriate access to sensitive data. Or systems that are secure but so restrictive that employees can't do their jobs effectively. You could also waste time manually managing permissions that could be automated, and create security risks that could be easily prevented.

Fortunately, this guide breaks down what each term actually means, how they differ, and how they work together to create effective access control systems.

What is user authentication (AuthN)?

Authentication is the process of verifying that someone is who they claim to be. When a user says "I'm Martha Stone," authentication is how the system confirms that the person is actually Martha Stone—and not someone pretending to be them.

Authentication happens at the beginning of any security interaction. Before a system can decide what someone should be allowed to do, it needs to establish their identity with reasonable confidence. This is why you enter a username and password when logging into any system, or why your phone asks for your fingerprint.

The identity and authentication process typically involves presenting one or more authentication factors that only the real user should have access to. These could be something you know (password), something you have (phone or token), or something you are (fingerprint or face).

Types of authentication methods

Different authentication methods provide different levels of security and convenience:

• Password-based: The most common method where users provide a username and password. Simple but increasingly vulnerable to password attacks like credential stuffing and phishing.
• Biometric: Uses unique physical characteristics like fingerprints, face recognition, or voice patterns. Highly secure but requires specialized hardware and can raise privacy concerns.
• Token-based: Uses physical or digital tokens that generate one-time codes. More secure than passwords alone but can be inconvenient if users lose or forget their tokens.
• Multi-factor authentication (MFA): Combines multiple authentication factors for stronger security. Typically includes something you know plus something you have or are. 
• Single-factor authentication (SFA): Relies on just one authentication method, usually a password. Simple but provides limited security in today's threat environment.

What is user authorization?

Authorization is the process of determining what an authenticated user is allowed to do. 

Once the system knows who you are, authorization grants access to specific resources, applications, and functions based on the user's privileges. This happens after authentication and depends on policies, roles, and permissions that have been configured for each user or group. 

For example, after Martha Stone successfully authenticates, the system might determine that they can read financial reports but not modify them, or access the HR system but not the executive dashboard.

Authorization is basically an ongoing process that applies to every action a user attempts. Each time someone tries to open a file, run a report, or access a new application, the system checks whether they're authorized for that specific action.

Types of authorization methods

Organizations use different authorization models depending on their security needs and complexity:

• Role-based access control (RBAC): RBAC assigns permissions based on predefined roles like "manager," "employee," or "contractor." Simple to understand and manage but can become rigid in complex organizations.
• Attribute-based access control (ABAC): ABAC makes authorization decisions based on multiple attributes like user department, time of day, location, and resource sensitivity. More flexible but also more complex to implement.
• Policy-based access control (PBAC): PBAC uses detailed policies that can incorporate business rules and conditional logic. Provides fine-grained control but requires careful policy design and management.
• Discretionary access control (DAC): DAC allows resource owners to control who can access their resources. Common in file systems but can lead to inconsistent security policies across an organization.

What are the differences between authentication and authorization?

While authentication and authorization work together, they serve distinct purposes and operate differently.

1. Purpose

Authentication answers the question "Who are you?" while authorization answers "What are you allowed to do?" Authentication establishes identity, while authorization enforces access policies and grants access based on that identity.

2. Process order

Authentication must happen first. You cannot determine what someone should be allowed to access until you know who they are. Authorization depends on the results of successful authentication.

3. Data used

Authentication relies on credentials that prove identity, such as passwords, certificates, or biometric data. Authorization uses information about the user's role, group membership, clearance level, privileges, and the policies that govern access to specific resources.

4. Outcome

Authentication results in either successful identity verification or failure. Authorization results in either permission to access a specific resource or denial of that access. The outcomes serve different purposes in the overall security framework.

5. Visibility

Users are usually aware of authentication because they actively participate in providing credentials. Authorization often happens transparently in the background, with users only noticing it when access is denied.

Authentication vs authorization: 4 key similarities

Despite their differences, authentication and authorization share important characteristics that make them complementary parts of a security system.

1. Critical to security

Both processes are quite essential to a layered security approach. Authentication without authorization would confirm identity but provide no access control. Authorization without authentication would control access but have no way to verify who is making requests.

2. Centered around user identity

Both processes revolve around establishing and using user identity information. Authentication creates the verified identity that authorization policies can reference and enforce.

3. Key components of access control

Authentication and authorization are the primary building blocks of any access control system. Most security frameworks and compliance requirements depend on both processes working correctly.

4. Commonly automated in security systems

Modern identity and access management (IAM) software automates both authentication and authorization processes. This automation reduces manual errors and ensures consistent policy enforcement across an organization.

How do authentication and authorization work together?

In practice, authentication and authorization form a seamless security workflow that users experience as a single login process. Here are some descriptive applications:

Logging into a company's internal dashboard

When an employee accesses their company dashboard, authentication first verifies their identity through username/password or single sign-on (SSO). Once identity is confirmed, authorization grants access to specific dashboard sections based on their role and privileges. 

A sales manager might see sales reports and team metrics, while an HR representative sees employee data and compliance reports. The user experiences this as one smooth login, but two distinct security processes are working together.

Accessing a cloud storage platform

When accessing Google Drive or similar platforms, authentication confirms the user's identity through their Google account credentials. Authorization then determines which folders and files they can access, whether they can edit or only view documents, and what sharing permissions they have. The authorization layer continuously checks whether users are among the authorized users for specific resources as they navigate through different folders and attempt various actions.

Simplify authentication and authorization with Rippling

Managing authentication and authorization across multiple systems creates complexity that most IT teams struggle with. Rippling's identity and access management (IAM) solution provides a unified platform that simplifies both processes while strengthening security.

Key security features include:

• Single sign-on that streamlines authentication across all your applications while maintaining security.
• Multi-factor authentication that adds extra security layers without creating user friction.
• Role-based access control that automatically manages authorization based on employee roles and attributes.
• Automated user provisioning that ensures new employees get appropriate access while departing employees lose it immediately.
• Unified identity management that combines HRIS and identity provider functions, eliminating data synchronization issues.
• Dynamic access policies that automatically adjust permissions as employee roles and responsibilities change

The platform integrates identity and access management with HR, IT, and finance workflows, creating a single source of truth for employee data and access rights. This integration eliminates the manual work and potential errors that occur when these systems operate independently.

Authentication vs authorization FAQs

Is OTP authentication or authorization?

One-time passwords (OTP) are an authentication method. OTPs verify user identity by requiring a code that only the legitimate user should be able to generate or receive. This makes OTP part of the authentication process, not authorization. However, successful OTP authentication enables the authorization process to determine what the verified user can access.

Which comes first, authorization or authentication?

Authentication always comes first. The system must verify who you are before it can determine what you're allowed to access. This sequence is fundamental to security because authorization decisions depend on knowing the authenticated user's identity, role, and attributes.

Is SSO authentication or authorization?

Single sign-on (SSO) is primarily an authentication service. SSO allows users to authenticate once and then access multiple applications without re-entering credentials. However, SSO systems often include authorization features that determine which applications a user can access after authentication. So while SSO is fundamentally about authentication, it typically incorporates authorization elements as well.

What is an example of authorization?

A common authorization example is file system permissions. After you authenticate to your computer, authorization determines which folders you can access, which files you can modify, and which programs you can run. Another example is application access: after authenticating to your company's network, authorization might allow you to use email and Slack but restrict access to financial systems or administrative tools based on your role and privileges.

How to remember the difference between authentication and authorization?

Think of authentication as answering "Who are you?" and authorization as answering "What can you do?" Authentication is about identity verification, while authorization is about permission enforcement. Another way to remember: authentication happens once when you log in, but authorization happens continuously as you try to access different resources throughout your session.

This blog is based on information available to Rippling as of June 23, 2025.

Disclaimer: Rippling and its affiliates do not provide tax, accounting, or legal advice. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide or be relied on for tax, accounting, or legal advice. You should consult your own tax, accounting, and legal advisors before engaging in any related activities or transactions.