# Authentication **Overview** Understanding authentication is crucial for ensuring secure access to systems and data. Authentication verifies the identity of users or systems before granting access to resources. Authorization determines the permissions and access levels for authenticated users. Below are key concepts and components related to user authentication and authorization. 1. **Login** * **Description:** Log in via the Torus Digital portal, verify via OTP, exchange the request token for an access token, and use it for future API requests. 2. **Session Token** * **Description:** A session token is generated and issued to the user after successful authentication. This token is used to maintain the user's authenticated state across multiple requests and sessions --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://heytorus.gitbook.io/authentication.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.