Authentication - CI/CD Glossary Definition
Authentication is the process of verifying who a caller is, usually by checking a credential such as a password, token, or certificate before any access is granted.
Authentication vs authorization
Authentication answers "who are you"; authorization answers "what are you allowed to do". A request is authenticated first, then authorized.
In CI/CD
A workflow authenticates to a registry, cloud provider, or artifact store before it can push images or read secrets. Short-lived tokens are preferred over long-lived passwords.
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