The correct answer isA. Authorization. In Identity and Access Management (IAM),authorizationis the process of determining whether a subject (user, application, or device) has the right to access a specific system object, such as networks, data, or applications. Authorization decisions are made after successful authentication and are based on the subject's permissions, roles, or attributes.
Key Characteristics of Authorization:
Decision Making:Determines if access ispermitted or deniedbased on policies or permissions.
Role and Attribute-Based Access:Often uses Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) or Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC) mechanisms to enforce policies.
Post-Authentication Process:Occursafter authenticationhas verified the user's identity.
Resource-Specific:Determines the level of access or specific operations (like read, write, execute) a user is allowed.
Example Scenario:
When a user logs into a cloud platform, the system firstauthenticatesthe user (verifies their identity) and thenauthorizestheir access to specific resources, such as viewing data in an S3 bucket or managing a VM instance. The access policies define what actions the authenticated user can perform.
Why Other Options Are Incorrect:
B. Federation:Involves linking a user's identity across multiple systems or domains but does not decide access permissions.
C. Authentication:The process of verifying a user's identity, typically through passwords, biometrics, or multi-factor authentication (MFA), but it does not determine resource access.
D. Provisioning:Refers to creating and managing user accounts and permissions, but it does not make real-time access decisions.
Real-World Context:
In cloud environments, services like AWS IAM or Azure AD use policies toauthorizeuser actions after they have beenauthenticated. For instance, an AWS IAM policy might allow a user to list S3 buckets but deny deletion.
[References:, CSA Security Guidance v4.0, Domain 12: Identity, Entitlement, and Access Management, Cloud Computing Security Risk Assessment (ENISA) - IAM and Access Control, Cloud Controls Matrix (CCM) v3.0.1 - Identity and Access Management Domain, , ]
