Modern web applications commonly use several authentication strategies:
- OAuth/OpenID Connect (OIDC): Enable third-party access without sharing user credentials. Ideal for social media logins and Single Sign-On (SSO) solutions. They add an identity layer with OpenID Connect.
- Credentials-based login (Email + Password): A standard choice for web applications, where users log in with an email and password. Familiar and easy to implement, it requires robust security measures against threats like phishing.
- Passwordless/Token-based authentication: Use email magic links or SMS one-time codes for secure, password-free access. Popular for its convenience and enhanced security, this method helps reduce password fatigue. Its limitation is the dependency on the user’s email or phone availability.
- Passkeys/WebAuthn: Use cryptographic credentials unique to each site, offering high security against phishing. Secure but new, this strategy can be difficult to implement.
Implementing Authentication
In this section, we’ll explore the process of adding basic email-password authentication to a web application. While this method provides a fundamental level of security, it’s worth considering more advanced options like OAuth or passwordless logins for enhanced protection against common security threats. The authentication flow we’ll discuss is as follows:
- The user submits their credentials through a login form.
- The form calls a Server Action.
- Upon successful verification, the process is completed, indicating the user’s successful authentication.
- If verification is unsuccessful, an error message is shown.