Giving a user permissions to use a certain resource is ________.

• A. Authentication
• B. Authorization
• C. Both A and B
• D. Neither A nor B

Answer: (B)

Authorization is the process of granting a user the rights to access a resource. After identity is established (authentication), the system decides what actions the user is allowed to perform, and giving permissions to use a resource is exactly that permission grant. Authentication, on the other hand, is about proving who the user is, not about what they can do. Saying both would imply performing both steps, which isn’t the action described, and saying neither would be inaccurate because granting access is indeed an authorization activity.