I've been diving into authentication for about a week, but I'm having a tough time figuring out how to integrate it into my freelance and personal projects. I'm confused about what it really means to secure a web app. How can I make sure my Web API is secure, and what steps should I take to secure a client application in React?
I've often heard advice like "Never roll out your own auth," but I'm not sure what that actually means. For example, I've worked on projects where I've used framework features to generate and validate JWTs and stored them in httpOnly cookies. I've also utilized Spring Security for CORS and used BCrypt for password handling. Would this be considered rolling my own auth?
When people caution against rolling your own auth, do they mean I shouldn't create my own hashing algorithms or JWT processes, or that I should just use third-party providers like Auth0?
Currently, I'm building a simple web app that will cater to fewer than 30 users. Should I rely on an external service like Firebase Authentication or Supabase, or would it be okay to implement basic session-based authentication using my framework's built-in libraries?
I've heard of solutions like Keycloak but that seems too complex for my needs right now. I know about OWASP guidelines and security risks, but I'm still unclear on the best way to secure my projects. Any guidance or resources would be super helpful!
5 Answers
The core concern about rolling your own authentication is ensuring the secure handling of passwords. You should ideally avoid managing and storing passwords directly; instead, consider third-party providers or established libraries. Poor password management can have serious repercussions if there are leaks, so using trusted solutions is crucial for protecting user data.
If you're sure you'll stay within the free usage of any mentioned authentication services, it’s wise to choose the simplest solution for your needs. I tried Auth0, but I'd potentially opt for another service next time as there are often simpler, more effective alternatives available.
Here’s a basic breakdown of rolling your own auth: it’s mainly about controlling access to your app. When users log in, you create a session with their info stored in your database, using cookies to manage the session ID. Make sure that the session ID is accompanied by a signature, usually a hash involving the ID and a secret key. The key point? Never expose the session ID without proper security measures in place.
I get it—authentication is a tough nut to crack, but you’re on the right track already! Using tools from your framework like Spring Security, JWTs, and bcrypt isn't the same as rolling your own auth. The danger really lies in crafting custom token formats or managing passwords and users from scratch, which is better left to the experts. For your small app, utilize built-in tools as long as you stick to best practices like cookie security and CSRF protection. Using services like Firebase or Auth0 can also alleviate some risk and save time if you prefer that route.
Using a well-established library for authentication is definitely recommended, especially for solo projects. If you’re using frameworks like Next.js, options like Better-Auth can simplify the process immensely. The idea behind not rolling your own auth is to avoid getting into the weeds of security, which larger teams are better suited to handle. If you're keen on learning, dive into open-source libraries to understand how they ensure security without reinventing the wheel.
Related Questions
How To: Running Codex CLI on Windows with Azure OpenAI
Set Wordpress Featured Image Using Javascript
How To Fix PHP Random Being The Same
Why no WebP Support with Wordpress
Replace Wordpress Cron With Linux Cron
Customize Yoast Canonical URL Programmatically