What is the primary purpose of authorization in IT security?

The primary purpose of authorization in IT security is to ensure that individuals or systems have the appropriate rights to access specific files, resources, or perform particular actions. Authorization is a critical component of access control and follows the identification and authentication processes. After verifying who the user is, authorization determines what that user is allowed to do within the system, such as accessing certain data, modifying it, or using various resources.

This function helps to protect sensitive information, maintain system integrity, and enforce security policies by restricting access to only those who have been granted permission. For example, in a database system, a user may have read-only permission to view data but not the authority to modify or delete it. This layered approach to security helps minimize the risk of unauthorized access and potential data breaches.

In contrast, the other options pertain to different aspects of IT and security: identifying network vulnerabilities is more associated with risk assessment; establishing network speed relates to performance metrics; and encrypting sensitive data concerns data confidentiality. While they all play important roles in information security, they do not directly connect to the core function of authorization.