Part 2. Configuring authentication

Authentication stands at the forefront of any secure application, determining who interacts with it. In the second part of this book, we dive right into the heart of this mechanism.

Chapter 3 acquaints you with Spring Security’s user management, including the essential UserDetails and GrantedAuthority contracts, and the nuances of guiding Spring Security on handling users.

Chapter 4 delves into password safety, exploring the PasswordEncoder contract, crafting your own, and using Spring Security’s Crypto module for encryption and key generation.

Chapter 5 introduces the pivotal role of filters in Spring Security. You’ll learn to integrate, order, and employ a variety of filters, enhancing your app’s security posture.

Chapter 6 ties everything together. Here you’ll discover the essence of the AuthenticationProvider, dive deep into custom authentication logic, and familiarize yourself with different login authentication methods, including HTTP Basic and form-based approaches.

By the end of this section, you’ll have a robust grasp of the intricate layers and mechanics of authentication in Spring applications.