Separate Signing In from Permission
First identify the user, then consult the permission for the requested resource and action.
About 18 minutes, plus any extended practice
Supplied materials
- Paper and pencil; answers may also be spoken or typed.
- All cases, labels, numbers and rules are supplied on this page. No real account, private information or purchase is needed.
Learn the idea
Authentication checks an identity claim. Authorization determines allowed actions for that identity. A person may be correctly signed in and still lack permission to edit another person’s file. Our supplied access table is fictional; no real account is required.
First identify the user, then consult the permission for the requested resource and action. Being signed in is not permission to access every record.
Use this supplied case: The file’s owner edits their own document. Access labels: Owner=editing their own file; Viewer=reading an explicitly shared view-only copy; Guest=not signed in and limited to public pages; Assigned staff=reviewing work assigned to staff. Which label describes this specific access record? The owner label describes this record because both ownership and editing their own file are explicitly stated. Signing in alone would not establish permission for a different file.
- Follow the worked example one step at a time. Say or draw what happens.
- First identify the user, then consult the permission for the requested resource and action.
- Say which detail makes the example answer fit. Pick another answer and say why it does not fit.
- Try the question and practice questions. Read the rule again if your answer does not match the explanation.
See the method in action
The file’s owner edits their own document. The table labels this access Owner because the identity is the owner and the action is editing their own file. A Viewer record instead describes reading a permitted view-only copy; Guest describes an unsigned-in public visitor; Assigned staff describes a staff assignment. The labels classify the supplied access context rather than claiming only one kind of person may view a public help page.
Check your reasoning
Your answer is temporary and is not saved to an account. Download your current answer before leaving or reloading. Written work on paper or in another app stays in your own file.
Helpful tips
- First identify the user, then consult the permission for the requested resource and action.
- Being signed in is not permission to access every record.
See the answer and explanation
Viewer
A viewer reads an explicitly shared view-only copy. The record states both the identity/context and the particular permitted action, so the matching label is Viewer. This does not grant that person access to unrelated private files. Signing in checks identity; permission still depends on the resource and action.
Take it further
New role Reader has view-only permission for report R. Expected: reading R is permitted, while editing R or reading an unrelated private report needs a separate permission. State the identity, resource and requested action before deciding.
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More practice: try new cases
Choose an answer for each problem. Explain your method on paper, then use the feedback to decide what to revisit.
Your choices are temporary. Feedback appears after you check all the answers.
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Check the subject sources
These LifeStarter passages, scenarios and exercises are authored for this Academy with AI assistance and review. External resources keep their publishers’ terms. A grade label suggests a starting level; it does not establish alignment with your school’s complete requirements.