What is the difference between authorisation and authorization

In simple terms, authentication is the process of verifying who a user is, while authorization is the process of verifying what they have access to. Comparing these processes to a real-world example, when you go through security in an airport, you show your ID to authenticate your identity. Then, when you arrive at the gate, you present your boarding pass to the flight attendant, so they can authorize you to board your flight and allow access to the plane.

Authentication Authorization Determines whether users are who they claim to be Determines what users can and cannot access Challenges the user to validate credentials for example, through passwords, answers to security questions, or facial recognition Verifies whether access is allowed through policies and rules Usually done before authorization Usually done after successful authentication Generally, transmits info through an ID Token Generally, transmits info through an Access Token Generally governed by the OpenID Connect OIDC protocol Generally governed by the OAuth 2.

In short, access to a resource is protected by both authentication and authorization. If you can't prove your identity, you won't be allowed into a resource. And even if you can prove your identity, if you are not authorized for that resource, you will still be denied access.

Was this article helpful? Contact sales Log in Sign up. Docs Get Started Authentication vs. On the other side, I have encountered Americans who were not even aware that 's' was a possibility, and regarded it as simply a mistake. As shown below, authorization is the standard AmE spelling, and it used to be also the BrE standard one till the second half of the 20th century. OED, however, appears to still favour the old zation spelling. Ngram shows that "authorization" is still used used in BrE so I suggest you use it to address both communities.

For the verb meaning to grant authority or to give permission, authorize is the standard spelling in American and Canadian English. Authorise is standard in all main varieties of English outside North America.

The distinction extends to all derivative words. North Americans use authorized, authorizing, authorizes, and authorization, while English speakers from outside the U. Authorize is the older form, and it was standard even in British English until the second half of the 20th century. It is in the group of Classically derived words that traditionally took the -ize ending but have recently acquired -ise.

The change is not wholly engrained, though. The Oxford English Dictionary, which usually favors British spellings, still lists authorize as the primary spelling, and some British publishing houses also favor the old spelling. In 21st-century edited British news publications, however, authorise appears about seven times for every instance of authorize, and authorize is even less common in 21st-century Australian and New Zealand publications.

Ngram AmE vs BrE authorization. Ngram AmE vs BrE authorisation. You need to choose one or the other, set your word processor's spellcheck to the one you have chosen and go by that. British people will assume you are American and make the mental adjustment. That's okay. You can simply choose the US spelling where it accords with one of the British ones. So, whatever your choice, your readers will make an assumption about you.

You may as well be consistent about it. Pick and stick! Sign up to join this community. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top. Stack Overflow for Teams — Collaborate and share knowledge with a private group. Create a free Team What is Teams? Learn more. Asked 6 years ago. Active 5 months ago. Viewed 84k times. Improve this question.