Authentication and Authorization: A Primer

Every developer uses these mechanisms, and most of us learned them by copying a config that already worked. This primer takes them one at a time, with a diagram of the request flow and a short list of what to watch for: what Basic auth really sends, how a cookie and a session store work together, what the three parts of a JWT contain, what single sign on solves, and why OAuth 2.0 had to exist. It closes with a straight answer on which one to reach for.

1. 1

   Introduction

   • Understanding authorization and authenticationArticle · Article, 1 min
2. 2

   Authentication

   • Basic authenticationArticle · Article, 2 min
   • Session based authenticationArticle · Article, 4 min
   • JWT AuthenticationArticle · Article, 2 min
   • Single Sign OnArticle · Article, 1 min
3. 3

   Authorization

   • OAuth 2.0Article · Article, 2 min
4. 4

   Conclusion

   • ConclusionArticle · Article, 2 min