What is Authorization?

Deciding what you are allowed to do, after the system already knows who you are, is called authorization. It is the process of granting or denying permission to perform an action or to reach a resource.

Authorization is like the wristband you get at a festival. Everyone at the gate showed a ticket, but the wristbands differ. A general wristband gets you into the main grounds. A VIP band opens the VIP section. A crew badge opens backstage. Same festival, different doors.