Authorization

In multi-user operating systems, an administrator defines just what users will have access into the system. The administrator may also grant other privileges such as what kind of access a user will have to certain files, how long the files can be accessed, amount of allocated storage space, and so on. When a user is attempting to log into a certain program or computer, the application or operating system may need to identify their credentials in order to allow a session. In this scenario, authorization can be defined as the initial configuring of permissions given by a system administrator, as well as the actual verification of those assigned values when a user is attempting to gain access. Authorization is often used in the context of authentication. This is because once a user has been authenticated for access, they have essentially been authorized to participate in a specific activity or service.