Application authentication establishes who is making a request by checking evidence such as a password, passkey, security token, identity-provider session, or service credential. The application then associates the verified identity with a session or request context.
Authentication is different from authorization, which decides what an authenticated identity may do. A secure application needs both, along with protected sessions, suitable expiration, account recovery, abuse controls, and careful handling of authentication data.
ELI5
Application authentication checks who a user or service is before giving access to a protected application. The proof might be a passkey, password, verified session or service credential.
For example, a banking app can verify a customer's identity before showing account information. Authentication proves who is making the request, while a separate authorization check decides whether that identity is allowed to view a particular account or perform a transfer.
How is application authentication different from authorization?
Authentication verifies identity, while authorization determines which data and actions that verified identity is permitted to access.
Why does a team application need authentication?
It protects shared data, connects actions to accountable identities, and enables different access rules for members and services.
