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Authentication & Authorization
Learn about user authentication methods, access control models, and authorization mechanisms.
Authentication Methods
Password Authentication
Advantages:
- • Familiar to users
- • Easy to implement
- • Low cost
Disadvantages:
- • Vulnerable to attacks
- • Password fatigue
- • Weak passwords
Password Strength Checker
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
Enable MFA
Access Control Models
Discretionary Access Control (DAC)
Resource owners control access to their resources
Example:
File permissions in Unix/Linux systems
Advantages:
- • Flexible
- • User-controlled
- • Simple to understand
Disadvantages:
- • Information leakage
- • Trojan horse attacks
- • Inconsistent security
Mandatory Access Control (MAC)
System enforces access control based on security labels
Example:
Military security classifications (Top Secret, Secret, etc.)
Advantages:
- • High security
- • Prevents information leakage
- • Consistent policy
Disadvantages:
- • Inflexible
- • Complex administration
- • User inconvenience
Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
Access permissions assigned to roles, users assigned to roles
Example:
Employee roles (Manager, Developer, HR) with specific permissions
Advantages:
- • Scalable
- • Easy management
- • Reflects organizational structure
Disadvantages:
- • Role explosion
- • Static permissions
- • Complex role hierarchies
Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC)
Access decisions based on attributes of users, resources, and environment
Example:
Access granted based on user department, resource classification, and time of day
Advantages:
- • Very flexible
- • Context-aware
- • Fine-grained control
Disadvantages:
- • Complex to implement
- • Policy management overhead
- • Performance impact
Authentication Activity Log
| User | Method | Result | Timestamp |
|---|---|---|---|
| alice@company.com | Password + SMS | Success | 2024-01-15 10:30:00 |
| bob@company.com | Password | Failed | 2024-01-15 10:25:00 |
| charlie@company.com | Biometric | Success | 2024-01-15 10:20:00 |