Secure User Authentication with Backend-Managed Cognito

Description

This project demonstrates a complete user authentication workflow using Amazon Cognito, providing a user-friendly interface for login, error handling, password change enforcement, and home page access post-login.

🛡️ Authentication Approach Used: This implementation follows the Backend-Managed Authentication model. The front-end sends login requests to a backend server, which securely communicates with AWS Cognito to handle authentication, token management, and session control.

🧩 Key Features:

• Login Interface: Users are prompted to enter their username and password to log in. The login form is designed for simplicity and clarity.

• Error Handling: “User Not Found”, If a user enters a username that is not registered in the Cognito User Pool, an appropriate error message is shown.

• Error Handling: “Incorrect Password”, When an incorrect password is entered for a valid username, the interface displays an error message informing the user.

• Force Password Change: If Cognito requires the user to change their password (e.g., after an admin reset or first login), the user is redirected to a password change form after entering valid credentials.

• Successful Login & Home Page Access: Upon successful login (and password change, if required), the user is redirected to the home page, where authenticated content is accessible.

• Secure Backend Integration: The front-end sends login requests to the backend, which interacts securely with AWS Cognito for token handling, session management, and authentication validation.

⚙️ Technologies Used:

• ReactJS: For hadling routing to Cognito interface and Home page.
• AWS Cognito: Handles user authentication, password policies, and token generation.
• Spring Boot: Backend server for secure communication with Cognito (Backend-Managed Authentication model).
• OAuth2 and JWT: For session control and secure access to protected routes.
• Responsive UI/UX: Ensures optimal usability with clear feedback and guidance during login.

🎲 GitHub Repository:

The demo, source code and documentation for this project can be found in the following GitHub repository:
🔗 Secure User Authentication with Backend-Managed Cognito

📖 Further Reading:

Explore the article that compares multiple AWS Cognito authentication strategies and when to use each:
🔗 Three Approaches to Integrate AWS Cognito Authentication in Your Application

This blog post covers:

• Direct UI Integration with AWS Cognito API using front-end SDKs like AWS Amplify.
• Backend-Managed Authentication, where your backend handles user verification and token management.
• Cognito Hosted UI a quick, fully managed solution using AWS’s built-in login interface.

Each method is explained with its pros, cons, and best use cases, helping you choose the right fit for your app’s architecture and security needs.

Conclusion:

This project delivers a real-world example of secure login flow integration with AWS services. Through clean UI, robust error handling, and backend integration, it demonstrates best practices in backend-managed based authentication ensuring a smooth, informative, and secure user experience across all login scenarios.