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Security Fundamentals & Crypto · Foundational

Authorization

Determining what an authenticated subject is permitted to access or do.

Definition

Authorization enforces access policy after authentication, using models such as RBAC, ABAC, DAC, or MAC. It is expressed through permissions, ACLs, policies, roles, and scopes. Authorization decisions should follow least privilege and be checked on every request.

Example

After logging in, an employee can read but not edit the finance share because their role grants read-only permission.

Exam tip

OAuth is an authorization framework, not an authentication protocol, a frequent exam trap.

Don't confuse it with

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