Web Security: User Authentication and Access Control (2019)

Course details

User authentication plays a central role in almost everything we do online. From apps to hardware and websites, user accounts and logins are everywhere. Authentication is critical for verifying a user's identity online and for confirming permissions so individuals can perform privileged actions. In this course, instructor Kevin Skoglund teaches you how authentication works, how to implement it correctly when building web applications, walks you through some of the most common attacks, and shows you how to protect your site. He also demonstrates how to secure your own passwords and digital identity so you can work securely. This course is ideal for all developers, particularly those who are interested in authentication and security.

Learning objectives
Verifying identity and access privileges
Authentication factors
Multi-factor authentication
Requirements for strong passwords
The dangers of password reuse
Encryption and hashing
Brute force and dictionary attacks
Salting passwords
Handling forgotten passwords
Insecure direct object references

Concepts

0. Introduction

01 - Best practices for user authentication and access control

1. User Authentication

02 - The importance of authentication
03 - Authentication factors
04 - Credentials
05 - Multi-factor authentication
06 - Pitfalls of multi-factor authentication
07 - Biometric authentication

2. Passwords

08 - Encryption and hashing
09 - Brute force attacks
10 - Speed and throttling
11 - Dictionary attacks
12 - Salted passwords
13 - Strong passwords

3. Manage Passwords

14 - Password requirements
15 - Password theft and reuse
16 - Password managers
17 - Handle forgotten passwords
18 - Use HTTPS and TLS

4. Access Control

19 - Insecure references
20 - Regulate access privileges
21 - Cookies and sessions
22 - Deny lists and geofilters
23 - Single sign-on services
24 - Deactivate user access

Conclusion

25 - Next steps