Foundations of Web Authentication and JWT Security

Every modern web application needs a reliable way to verify who its users are and what they are allowed to do. Understanding the core concepts of web authentication is essential for building secure, trustworthy software. This course guides you through the foundational principles of user authentication and authorization. You will progress from basic terminology to understanding secure session-based authentication and token-based security using JSON Web Tokens (JWTs), ensuring your applications remain protected against unauthorized access. What you'll learn: - Understand core security concepts, including the difference between authentication and authorization - Implement session-based authentication and manage secure user state across requests - Create and verify JSON Web Tokens (JWTs) to build stateless, scalable authentication systems - Apply modern storage best practices to protect tokens against common web vulnerabilities like XSS and CSRF - Configure secure password hashing using industry-standard algorithms - Explore modern authentication flows, including the basics of OAuth and single sign-on concepts You will begin by mastering essential security definitions and password-hashing concepts before moving step-by-step through session management, token architecture, and secure storage strategies. This course is designed for beginner developers, software engineering students, and anyone looking to build a solid foundation in web security. No prior security experience is required. Start reading today to build secure web applications with confidence.