Authentication & Security (JWT, OAuth, SSO)

Authentication & Security (JWT, OAuth, SSO) Mastery Roadmap

This detailed roadmap will take you from beginner to expert in authentication and security, covering JWT, OAuth, OpenID Connect (OIDC), SSO, session management, and best practices for securing modern web applications.

Phase 1: Authentication & Security Fundamentals

✅ Understanding Authentication & Authorization

  • What is authentication vs. authorization?

  • Types of Authentication: Session-Based, Token-Based, API Keys, Biometrics

  • Common Security Risks (Brute Force, Man-in-the-Middle, CSRF, XSS)

✅ Introduction to JSON Web Tokens (JWT)

  • What is JWT? How it Works (Header, Payload, Signature)

  • Creating & Verifying JWTs (jsonwebtoken in Node.js)

  • Best Practices: Expiration, Signature, Revocation

✅ Session-Based Authentication

  • Cookies vs. Local Storage for Security

  • Setting Secure HTTP-Only Cookies

  • Implementing Session Authentication with Express & Passport.js

📌 Mini Projects:

  • Simple JWT Authentication System

  • Session-Based Login with Secure Cookies

Phase 2: OAuth & OpenID Connect (OIDC)

✅ Understanding OAuth 2.0 & OpenID Connect

  • OAuth 2.0 Grant Types: Authorization Code, Implicit, Client Credentials, Password Grant

  • OpenID Connect (OIDC): Identity Layer for OAuth 2.0

  • OAuth Roles: Resource Owner, Client, Authorization Server, Resource Server

✅ Implementing OAuth 2.0 Authentication

  • Registering an OAuth App (Google, GitHub, Facebook Login)

  • OAuth Authorization Flow (Access Tokens & Refresh Tokens)

  • Using OAuth with JWT for API Authorization

📌 Mini Projects:

  • Google & GitHub OAuth Login for Web Apps

  • Secure API Authentication with OAuth 2.0

Phase 3: Single Sign-On (SSO) & Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

✅ Understanding Single Sign-On (SSO)

  • What is SSO? How it Works with OAuth & SAML

  • Implementing Google SSO & Microsoft SSO

  • Enterprise SSO with Active Directory & Okta

✅ Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

  • TOTP (Time-Based One-Time Passwords) with Google Authenticator

  • Implementing 2FA (SMS, Email, Authenticator Apps)

  • Biometric Authentication (Face ID, Fingerprint)

📌 Mini Projects:

  • Adding Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) to a Web App

  • Google & Microsoft SSO Implementation

Phase 4: Advanced Security Best Practices

✅ Secure Password Handling

  • Salting & Hashing Passwords (bcrypt, Argon2)

  • Rate Limiting & Brute Force Attack Prevention

  • Account Lockout & Password Reset Flows

✅ API Security & Secure Token Storage

  • Securing API Endpoints (OAuth, API Keys, RBAC)

  • Storing JWT Securely (Best Practices: HTTP-Only, SameSite Cookies)

  • Token Revocation Strategies

📌 Mini Projects:

  • Building a Secure User Authentication System

  • Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) for APIs

Phase 5: Real-World Security Implementation & Testing

✅ Implementing Security in Production

  • Rate Limiting & IP Whitelisting (Nginx, Cloudflare, Express Middleware)

  • Logging & Monitoring Authentication Attempts

  • Securely Handling Third-Party Authentication APIs

✅ Security Testing & Ethical Hacking for Authentication

  • Testing Authentication Flaws with Burp Suite

  • JWT Manipulation & Token Spoofing Attacks

  • CSRF, XSS, and Session Hijacking Prevention

📌 Mini Projects:

  • Pentesting an Authentication System for Vulnerabilities

  • Secure Login with RBAC & OAuth 2.0

Final Step: Real-World Practice & Skill Testing

🔥 Platforms to Test & Improve Authentication Skills:

🚀 By mastering this roadmap, you’ll be able to: ✅ Implement secure authentication for web & mobile apps ✅ Use OAuth 2.0, JWT, and SSO for modern security ✅ Protect APIs and user data from security threats ✅ Harden authentication flows against hacking attempts

🔥 Start mastering authentication & security now!

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