What is the primary purpose of authorization in a network?

The primary purpose of authorization in a network is to establish user permissions. Authorization determines what resources a user can access and what actions they can perform within a system after their identity has been verified through authentication.

Once a user's identity is confirmed, authorization ensures that they have the appropriate level of access based on predefined policies or roles. For example, an employee in a company may be authorized to access sensitive files relevant to their department while not having access to files belonging to other departments. This process is essential for maintaining security and ensuring that users only have access to the data and functions necessary for their roles.

While verifying user identity is crucial, it falls under authentication rather than authorization. Logging user activity and auditing compliance serve different purposes in security management, focusing more on monitoring behaviors and ensuring regulatory adherence, rather than on the permissions granted to users within the network.