Authentication and Authorization

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Introduction

Authentication and Authorization are core security concepts used to control access to web applications.

• Authentication → Who are you? (Login / Identity verification)

• Authorization → What are you allowed to do? (Permissions / Access control)

Authentication

What is Authentication?

Authentication verifies the identity of a user, usually using username & password, OTP, or tokens.

Common Authentication Methods

• Username & Password

• Email & Password

• OTP (One-Time Password)

• Token-based Authentication (JWT)

• OAuth (Google, Facebook login)

Basic Login Authentication (PHP Example)

Login Form (HTML)

<form method="post">
    <input type="email" name="email" placeholder="Email">
    <input type="password" name="password" placeholder="Password">
    <input type="submit" name="login">
</form>

PHP Authentication Logic

session_start();

if (isset($_POST['login'])) {
    $email = $_POST['email'];
    $password = $_POST['password'];

    // Fetch user from database
    $stmt = $pdo->prepare("SELECT * FROM users WHERE email = ?");
    $stmt->execute([$email]);
    $user = $stmt->fetch();

    if ($user && password_verify($password, $user['password'])) {
        $_SESSION['user_id'] = $user['id'];
        $_SESSION['role'] = $user['role'];
        header("Location: dashboard.php");
    } else {
        echo "Invalid login credentials";
    }
}

Authorization

What is Authorization?

Authorization determines what an authenticated user can access or perform within the system.

Role-Based Authorization

Common roles:

• Admin

• Editor

• User

Authorization Example (Role Check)

session_start();

if ($_SESSION['role'] !== 'admin') {
    die("Access denied");
}

Authentication vs Authorization

Session-Based Authentication

• Stores user identity in session

• Common in PHP applications

$_SESSION['user_id'] = $user['id'];

Token-Based Authentication (Overview)

Used in APIs and mobile apps.

• JWT (JSON Web Token)

• Stateless authentication

• Sent via headers

Logout Functionality

session_start();
session_destroy();
header("Location: login.php");

Security Best Practices

• Hash passwords using password_hash()

• Use HTTPS

• Regenerate session ID after login

• Implement CSRF protection

• Limit login attempts

• Validate user input

Common Use Cases

• User login systems

• Admin panels

• Role-based dashboards

• API security