Creating the WebAuthn Components Library for Phoenix LiveView Apps with Owen Bickford
Nov 14, 2024
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Owen Bickford, creator of the WebAuthnComponents library, dives into the future of passwordless authentication for Phoenix LiveView apps. He discusses the evolution from traditional passwords to modern passkeys and highlights security flaws in conventional systems. Owen explains how the WebAuthn API enhances user experience and security while encouraging community contributions to the library. Also covered are challenges like cross-device support and the transformative potential of hardware-based credentials, ensuring safer, more efficient web applications.
The evolution of authentication highlights significant security flaws in traditional methods, paving the way for modern solutions like passkeys and the WebAuthn API.
Passkeys simplify the user experience by eliminating the need for passwords while enhancing security through advanced cryptography and hardware-based credential storage.
The creation of the WebAuthn Components Library for Phoenix LiveView streamlines passwordless authentication integration, offering customization and flexibility for developers.
Deep dives
The Evolution of Authentication Methods
Authentication has progressed significantly over the years, primarily starting with simple password use that evolved into more secure practices. Initially, passwords were stored in databases in plain text, leading to data breaches and the need to develop more secure techniques like hashing and salting. However, as database security became a concern, multifactor authentication (MFA) emerged, which requires additional verification steps, such as codes sent via SMS or email. Despite advancements, many of these methods still face vulnerabilities, such as phishing attacks and database leaks, highlighting the need for modern solutions like passkeys.
Introduction to Passkeys and WebAuthn
Passkeys are a groundbreaking solution designed to enhance authentication security while improving user experience by eliminating the need for passwords altogether. They leverage WebAuthn technology, which utilizes a combination of public and private key cryptography for secure credential management. This technology not only simplifies the authentication process but also addresses many vulnerabilities associated with traditional methods, as passkeys can only be used on the specific website for which they were created. Essentially, passkeys aim to make authentication not only more secure but also user-friendly, combating password fatigue.
Creating a Library for Phoenix LiveView
The creation of the WebAuthn Components Library for Phoenix LiveView represents an effort to provide developers with an easy-to-integrate solution for implementing passkey support in their applications. This library builds upon existing authentication packages like Phoenix GenAuth, aiming to streamline the process of integrating passwordless authentication. By generating necessary code and components for the application, developers can set up passkey authentication quickly, allowing them to focus on other aspects of their applications without needing deep security expertise. The library also emphasizes customization and flexibility, enabling developers to tailor the integration to their specific needs.
User Flexibility and Security Considerations
Users benefit from the convenience of passkeys without sacrificing security, as the library facilitates the use of biometrics for authentication, such as fingerprint or facial recognition. While passkeys enhance security by eliminating passwords, there remain critical considerations regarding recovery and cross-device access, necessitating robust backup methods such as device synchronization via cloud services. The library architecture accounts for these aspects by allowing developers to implement features for managing multiple passkeys per user. By fostering a secure yet user-friendly approach to authentication, developers can significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.
Encouraging Collaboration and Community Engagement
Community involvement is pivotal for the continued improvement and success of the WebAuthn Components Library, encouraging developers to contribute through issue tracking and pull requests. Feedback play a crucial role as developers use this platform for implementing enhanced security measures seamlessly. The focus on collaboration not only helps refine the library but also boosts security awareness in the broader development community, addressing vulnerabilities effectively through shared knowledge and expertise. Ultimately, this collaborative approach helps ensure that robust and secure authentication solutions adapt to meet emerging threats and user needs.
Today on Elixir Wizards, Owen Bickford, fellow Wizard and creator of the WebauthnComponents library, joins us to talk about building passwordless authentication for Phoenix LiveView applications. Owen walks us through the evolution of authentication—touching on everything from plain text passwords to multi-factor setups—and explains the security flaws and user experience issues each method presents. He describes passkeys, a solution based on the WebAuthn API, which improves security and ease of use.
The conversation covers cross-device support for passkeys, the role of password managers in keeping credentials synced, and ideas for enhancing WebauthnComponents, like supporting multiple passkeys per account. Owen invites listeners to contribute to the library’s development on GitHub and emphasizes the role passkeys play in improving app security and user experience.
Topics discussed in this episode:
Passkeys and the shift toward passwordless authentication
WebAuthn API and its role in secure login systems
Creating the WebauthnComponents library for Phoenix LiveView
History of authentication from basic passwords to multi-factor approaches
Security gaps and user experience challenges with traditional methods
Asymmetric cryptography’s impact on secure logins
Hardware-based credential storage and generation with Trusted Platform Modules
Structure and components of the WebAuthn library: dependencies, LiveViews, and Ecto schemas
Live components for real-time server-browser interactions
Passkeys as a primary or secondary authentication method
Key business considerations when choosing authentication methods
Cross-device support for passkeys and credential syncing
Strategies for passkey recovery if devices are lost
Ensuring secure access in unattended environments
Elixir’s ecosystem advantages for building authentication systems
Simplifying JavaScript complexity within Elixir projects
Future-proofing WebAuthn Components for seamless updates
Using Igniter to enhance customization and refactoring
Developer-friendly tools for secure authentication
Inviting community contributions on GitHub and the Elixir forum
Plans for telemetry and performance tracking
Why adopting passkeys is a win for app security and user experience
