How To Auth: Let's Talk About Authentication
A rollercoaster ride through the world of user authentication that will make you question your life choices (and maybe fix your security vulnerabilities). If you're not sure how to get started with that authentication system you've been thinking to implement, this blog will help you.
Ah, authentication - the digital equivalent of asking 'Who's there?' before letting someone into your treehouse. Today we'll build a system that's more secure than your average 'password123' setup (looking at you, Uncle Steve).
Backend: Where the Magic Happens (And By Magic, I Mean Security)
These packages are like the Avengers of authentication: Bcrypt hashes passwords harder than Thor smashes ice giants, JWT creates tokens that even Loki would struggle to trick, and Mongoose... well, it's not an animal, but it does help tame your MongoDB.
Pro tip: If you're storing passwords in plain text, you might as well leave your house keys under the mat with a note saying 'Please steal me'
Frontend: Where Users Forget Their Passwords Daily
Storing JWT tokens in localStorage is like keeping your diary in a cookie jar - it works until someone finds it. Use httpOnly cookies instead!
Security Checklist:
"Rate limiting: Because brute force attacks should work for their success"
"Password complexity: Minimum 8 characters, 1 number, 1 symbol, and 1 ancient rune"
"Multi-factor auth: When 'password123' just isn't insecure enough"
Congratulations! You've now built an authentication system that's more secure than 73% of production systems (according to very real statistics I just made up). Now go forth and may your users never experience 'Invalid Password' again... or at least not too often.
Remember: Authentication is like underwear - change it regularly, don't share it, and for the love of all that's holy, keep it private!