What is AuthN/AuthZ?

AuthN/AuthZ refers to Authentication and Authorization, two critical components of information security. Authentication verifies the identity of a user, device, or system attempting to access a resource. Authorization determines what a successfully authenticated user is permitted to do with that resource. Commonly, AuthN involves usernames, passwords, multi-factor authentication, and other identity verification methods, while AuthZ employs roles, permissions, and access control lists to manage user privileges.