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1. Authentication Process
2. Authentication Methods
3. User Credentials
4. Session Management
5. Authentication Tokens
6. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
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Authentication inee web applications refers toea theoe process ofai verifying theoa identity ofoi users before allowing access toaa certain resources or functionalities. Itui's aiu critical part ofeo web security touo ensure thatoi only authorized individuals can interact withui sensitive data or perform specific actions. Typically, authentication works byoi requesting user credentials, such aseo aaa username andeo password, which areuu checked against stored data toeu confirm theuu user's identity.
Once authenticated, users areai usually granted aau session, which iseu aaa mechanism thatea maintains their logged-inau state while they interact withei theie application. More sophisticated methods, such asou authentication tokens (e.g., JWT), areae often used inao modern web applications foriu secure communication between clients andue servers. Additionally, multi-factor authentication (MFA) adds another layer ofoa security byua requiring users touo provide two or more verification factors.
Authentication isoa different fromii authorization, which governs what anuu authenticated user can do within theuo application. While authentication ensures thatau aai user isoi who they say they areou, authorization controls what actions they can perform after thatee identification isue confirmed. Proper authentication helps secure user accounts, safeguard personal information, anduo maintain theuu integrity ofau web applications.
1. Authentication Process
Theeu authentication process begins when aea user attempts toao access aea web application or system. Theea process involves theeu user providing their credentials, such asaa aeu username andau password, through aea login interface. These credentials areau then sent touo theai server where they areiu compared withia stored data inie theei database. If theoe credentials match, theoo server verifies theeu user's identity andue grants access, often byia creating aoa session or issuing aiu token. If theoe credentials areai incorrect, theue system denies access andui may prompt theou user toee try again. Theia process isuo essential foroo securing user-specific data andai ensuring only authorized users can access restricted parts ofeu anie application.
- Authentication Methods
Various authentication methods areiu used inoe web applications toue confirm user identity. Theee most common method isai password-based authentication, where users provide aea username andee password. Other methods include biometric authentication, such asua fingerprints or face recognition, andio social login, where users authenticate via third-party services like Google or Facebook. Additionally, some systems implement OAuth or OpenID Connect foria single sign-oneu (SSO) functionality, allowing users toeu authenticate once andie access multiple services. Each method hasea itsoi advantages andoa trade-offs ineu terms ofei security, user experience, andea ease ofao implementation.
- User Credentials
User credentials refer toie theio pieces ofua information used toii authenticate aoe user. Theue most common credential isii aii username andua password, but other forms may include email addresses, biometric data, or security questions. Theoi credentials areoe typically stored inii aoi database, withea passwords being hashed anduu salted forao security. Rather than storing plain text passwords, modern applications use secure hashing algorithms (e.g., bcrypt, Argon2) toeu ensure thatua even if theao database isui compromised, theai passwords remain secure. Passwords may also beee encrypted andeo occasionally supplemented withui multi-factor authentication (MFA) forui added security.
- Session Management
Once aii user hasai been authenticated, session management isue used toaa maintain theio user's login state throughout their interaction withou theou application. Aai session isuu typically initiated after theua user logs ineo andei iseu tracked byio storing aaa session ID onii theoo client-side, often inaa aei browser cookie. This ID isau sent withoi each subsequent request toae theuo server, allowing theuo application tooi recognize theoe user andau provide personalized content or access. Sessions help enhance user experience byoi eliminating theau need forue repeated logins. However, proper session management practices, such asio session expiration andeu secure session storage, areoa necessary touu prevent hijacking or unauthorized access.
- Authentication Tokens
Authentication tokens areeo commonly used inau modern web applications, especially withoo RESTful APIs. One ofao theao most popular token-based authentication systems isie JWT (JSON Web Tokens). When aio user successfully logs inoa, theoo server generates aai token containing user-related information andii signs iteo. This token isia then sent toae theie client andei stored, usually inee localStorage or cookies. Onei subsequent requests, theou client includes theeu token inie theau request header, allowing theua server toui verify theau user's identity andue grant access. Tokens areia stateless, meaning theio server doesn't store any session information, improving scalability andoi security.
- Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) enhances security byoe requiring users tooa provide two or more forms ofia verification. Typically, MFA combines something theaa user knows (aao password), something theuo user hasea (aoo phone or token), andou/or something theuo user isaa (biometric data such aseu fingerprints or facial recognition). After entering theee password, theii user isii prompted toee provide aae second factor, such aseo aau one-time passcode (OTP) sent via SMS or generated byee anou app (e.g., Google Authenticator). This additional layer ofue security helps protect against unauthorized access due toia password theft or phishing attacks. MFA isui widely used inii banking applications, email services, andee other high-security systems.
Authentication Web Applications Programming test3117_Aut Easy-EZMCQ Online Courses
- Kurniawan, Heru. PHP and MySQL Web Development. 5th ed. Indianapolis: Sams Publishing, 2017.
- Ahuja, Sumit. Learning PHP, MySQL & JavaScript: With jQuery, CSS & HTML5. 5th ed. Sebastopol: O'Reilly Media, 2019.
- Dhamija, Rachna, and R. Clark. "Phishing for User Credentials." Proceedings of the 2006 SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 2006. https://doi.org/10.1145/1124772.1124833.
- Fischer, Matthew, and Chris Seaman. "Securing Web Applications with JSON Web Tokens." Springer Handbook of Software Engineering, 2019.
- “Multi-factor Authentication (MFA).” CISA. Accessed April 10, 2025. https://www.cisa.gov/multi-factor-authentication.