What is identification, authentication, and authorization? What is the difference?

Identification — the process of determining who is trying to access the system. Usually involves entering a login or a unique identifier.

Authentication — verifying the user's identity, confirming that they are indeed who they claim to be. For example, entering a password, biometric data, or a token.

Authorization — the process of determining the rights and access levels of a user to resources after successful authentication. For example, read, write, or administrative permissions.

Difference:

• Identification — who are you?
• Authentication — prove that you are who you say you are
• Authorization — what are you allowed to do

Example: the user enters a login (identification), then a password (authentication), after which the system decides what data they have access to (authorization).