Authentication and authorization are fundamental components of identity and access management (IAM), serving to validate user identities and determine access permissions within digital systems. Authentication, the first step, involves verifying a user's identity through methods such as passwords, biometrics, and multi-factor authentication, ensuring that only legitimate users access a system. Once authenticated, authorization follows, defining what resources or actions the user can access based on roles, attributes, or predefined policies. The two processes are crucial for security, as authentication prevents unauthorized access while authorization ensures that users can only interact with parts of the system pertinent to their permissions. Modern approaches like adaptive authentication and fine-grained authorization enhance security without compromising user experience. Descope aids developers in integrating these processes smoothly into applications, offering tools like drag-and-drop workflows and passwordless authentication to reduce complexity and enhance security.