How an authentication system actually works

The processes that takes place when you sign up or login on a site is actually much more than just you filling a form and clicking a button A lot of processes actually go on behind that login or sign up button and that those would be the main focus for this content. When signing up on an app, the app sends the data to a database (a table containing everyone's data). However if all data are sent in plain text, the internet would be a scary place. This is why a series of step is taken to make sure your data is shared and stored securely Phase 1: The sign up path The secure travel path (HTTPS/TLS) Before your data even leaves your computer, your browser establishes a secure connection using HTTPS. This creates an encrypted tunnel between you and the server. Even if someone intercepts your Wi-Fi signal, they only see "garbage" data. It is important to note that HTTPS secures the transit, but the server still needs to secure the storage NB: This is why you shouldn't login or sign up to sigh