Building Authentication & Authorization
A backend security scenario focused on authentication, role-based access control and resource-level authorization.
This case study demonstrates how authentication and authorization can be designed as separate backend responsibilities.
The Problem
The system had multiple types of users.
Different users required different permissions.
Some resources belonged to individual users.
Administrative operations required stronger authorization.
Architecture
Technical Challenges
Managing user identity
Designing roles and permissions
Protecting user-owned resources
Preventing privilege escalation
Investigation
Solution
Separate authentication from authorization.
Implement role-based permissions.
Validate resource ownership.
Centralize authorization middleware.
Keep permission decisions on the backend.
Results
Clear permission boundaries.
More maintainable authorization logic.
Reduced duplication across protected endpoints.
Better control over privileged operations.
Lessons Learned
Knowing who the user is does not determine what they can do.
Authorization needs to consider both roles and resources.
Security-sensitive decisions should remain server-side.