Authentication, Authorization, and Privilege Management - Introductory Cyber Security
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Authentication, Authorization, and Privilege Management

Authentication, Authorization, and Privilege Management

The chapter discusses the critical role of authentication and authorization in securing digital systems, emphasizing the necessity of strong authentication methods and the distinct yet complementary nature of authentication and authorization processes. It explores various access control models, including Discretionary Access Control (DAC), Mandatory Access Control (MAC), and Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), while also addressing the concept of privilege and the risks associated with privilege escalation in cybersecurity.

20 sections

Sections

Navigate through the learning materials and practice exercises.

  1. 1
    The Importance Of Strong Authentication

    Strong authentication is crucial in securing digital systems by verifying...

  2. 1.1
    Why Strong Authentication Is Paramount

    Strong authentication is crucial for establishing trust and security in...

  3. 1.2
    Authentication Factors And Multi-Factor Authentication (Mfa)

    This section discusses the various authentication factors essential for...

  4. 2
    Distinction Between Authentication And Authorization

    This section delineates the critical differences between authentication and...

  5. 2.1
    Authentication: The Identity Verification Stage

    Authentication is the essential process of verifying the identity of users,...

  6. 2.2
    Authorization: The Permission Granting Stage

    Authorization involves determining the permissions for authenticated...

  7. 2.3
    The Interdependent Relationship

    Strong authentication is essential for effective authorization in security systems.

  8. 3
    Importance Of Authorization And Access Control

    This section highlights the critical role of authorization and access...

  9. 3.1
    Why Authorization Is Crucial

    Authorization is vital as it enforces the principle of least privilege,...

  10. 3.2
    Access Control: Mechanisms For Authorization Enforcement

    Access Control manages how subjects interact with objects by enforcing...

  11. 3.3
    Access Control Models

    This section explains various access control models, including Discretionary...

  12. 3.3.1
    Discretionary Access Control (Dac)

    Discretionary Access Control (DAC) allows resource owners to grant and...

  13. 3.3.2
    Mandatory Access Control (Mac)

    Mandatory Access Control (MAC) is a strict access control model that...

  14. 3.3.3
    Role-Based Access Control (Rbac)

    Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) is an access management model that assigns...

  15. 4
    Privilege And Privilege Escalation

    This section provides an overview of computing privileges and the concept of...

  16. 4.1

    This section covers the concept of privilege in computer security, including...

  17. 4.2
    Privilege Escalation

    Privilege escalation refers to cyberattacks where an attacker gains...

  18. 4.2.1
    Types Of Privilege Escalation

    This section outlines the two primary types of privilege...

  19. 4.2.2
    Common Causes And Mechanisms Of Privilege Escalation

    This section outlines the common causes and mechanisms that lead to...

  20. 4.2.3
    Impact Of Privilege Escalation

    Privilege escalation attacks enable attackers to gain unauthorized access to...

What we have learnt

  • Robust authentication is vital for establishing trust and security in digital systems.
  • Authentication and authorization serve different functions but are interdependent security mechanisms.
  • Understanding privilege escalation and its potential impact is crucial for maintaining system integrity.

Key Concepts

-- Authentication
The process of verifying the claimed identity of a user, process, or device.
-- Authorization
The process of determining what an authenticated subject is allowed to do or access.
-- MultiFactor Authentication (MFA)
A security system that requires more than one form of verification to access a resource.
-- Privilege Escalation
A type of cyberattack where an attacker gains unauthorized access to higher privilege levels than their current account possesses.
-- Discretionary Access Control (DAC)
A type of access control where the owner of a resource defines permissions for other users.
-- Mandatory Access Control (MAC)
A strict enforcement of access policies by a central authority based on predefined security labels.
-- RoleBased Access Control (RBAC)
An access control model that assigns permissions to roles rather than directly to individual users, simplifying permission management.

Additional Learning Materials

Supplementary resources to enhance your learning experience.