Introduction to Web Authentication

This course introduces developers to the W3C’s Web Authentication (WebAuthn) API, which provides the tools to replace usernames and passwords in favor of hardware-backed, cryptographically secure authentication. Learners will explore basic concepts such as registration and authentication, and how WebAuthn thwarts modern attacks such as phishing to ensure security and privacy. After becoming familiar with WebAuthn buiding blocks, such as authenticators, clients, and replying parties, learners will move on to standing up a WebAuthn server and learning the different flows supported by WebAuthn. Finally, students will review guidance and recommendations for operating a WebAuthn environment, capping off the course with an interactive project giving developers a solid foundation to secure assets and contemplate a passwordless future.

• What is Web Authentication (a.k.a WebAuthn)
• Key WebAuthn concepts
• How to create and use Web Authentication credentials
• Construction of a server infrastructure
• Understand and deploy server side requirements

• Security key and/or Chrome authenticator (free tool that works on Chrome browser)
• Have a working knowledge of computer security and authentication, and be familiar with JavaScript and be proficient in writing code
• Have a working instance of Git and Docker