Every application needs authentication — but secure authentication is more than hashing a password and issuing a token. It’s about designing the entire user journey thoughtfully: registration, login, error messaging, password resets, and recovery.

In this session, we’ll explore the real-world decisions developers must make when building authentication systems. We’ll discuss proper password hashing (and why encryption isn’t enough), practical password policies, defending against user enumeration, secure reset flows, and integrating with password managers. Through practical examples and demonstrations, we’ll examine how small design choices can either strengthen or weaken your application’s security posture.

By the end of this session, you’ll have a practical framework for building authentication systems that are both secure and user-friendly.