What is defined by permissions assigned to a user on an object?

The correct response is tied to the concept of authorization, which refers to the process by which system permissions are granted to users regarding specific objects, such as files, folders, or network resources. Authorization determines what an authenticated user is allowed to do—such as read, write, execute, or delete—within a system based on the permissions assigned to them.

When a user is authenticated into a system, the subsequent step is to authorize them to access specific resources. This is critical for maintaining security and ensuring that users have only the level of access necessary to perform their job functions, while also protecting sensitive data from unauthorized access.

In contrast, account policies govern the rules related to user accounts and password complexities but do not specifically define access rights to objects. Access tokens serve as a means of carrying user authentication and authorization information within a system but do not define those permissions themselves. A proxy acts as an intermediary for requests from clients seeking resources from servers but doesn't define permission assignments either. Thus, authorization is the most precise term that encapsulates the permissions assigned to users on objects.