Overview
Purpose of this presentation
This deck explains how to make Uphold login secure, user-friendly, and resilient. It covers authentication mechanisms, risk-based checks, session management, and UX considerations. The content is structured for product managers, engineers, security architects, and designers who need a practical blueprint for implementing safe access to digital wallets.
Who should read this
Teams building financial apps, custodial or non-custodial wallets, single-sign-on, and identity flows will benefit. The recommendations prioritize user trust, regulatory compliance, and operational reliability. We will balance security controls with seamless experience to keep drop-off low while protecting assets.
Threat Model & Risk Landscape
Common attacker goals
Attackers may attempt credential stuffing, phishing, SIM swap, social engineering, or exploitation of weak session tokens. Understanding attacker motivations — from financial theft to account takeover — helps prioritize defenses. Wallets are high-value targets because they provide access to currency, tokens, and transaction history.
Assets to protect
The primary assets are user authentication credentials, session tokens, linked funding sources, transaction approvals, and recovery mechanisms. Secondary assets include profile data and behavioral history that could be used for targeted attacks. Defenses must protect both static and dynamic assets.
Assumptions
We assume a distributed user base across devices and networks, varying device hygiene, and that some users will be targeted. Systems must be resilient to common web threats and adopt layered controls: preventive, detective, and corrective.
Constraints
Regulatory requirements, device diversity, and user experience constraints mean not every control is suitable. We must choose measures that align with legal frameworks (KYC/AML), platform policies, and product goals.
Authentication Mechanisms
Multi-factor authentication (MFA)
MFA should be mandatory for high-value actions. Use a combination of factors: something you know (password or PIN), something you have (hardware token, authenticator app), and something you are (biometric). Avoid SMS as the sole second factor for critical operations due to SIM swap risks.
WebAuthn & Passkeys
Adopt WebAuthn and passkeys where possible. These cryptographic, phishing-resistant methods provide strong security with simple UX. They reduce reliance on shared secrets and improve long-term resilience against credential theft.
Password best practices
Enforce minimum password strength and use adaptive rate limiting. Store using modern hashing (argon2id or bcrypt with sufficient parameters). Encourage passphrases and provide a password manager-friendly registration flow. Consider progressive onboarding to reduce friction for new users.
Social and federated login
Social logins can improve conversion but require careful mapping to account recovery and verification processes. Use federated identity providers only when they meet security standards and integrate with your risk scoring engine.
Risk-Based Authentication (RBA)
Why RBA matters
RBA applies stronger controls only when risk signals indicate elevated threat. This lowers friction for ordinary logins while hardening risky attempts. Signals include IP reputation, device fingerprint, geolocation anomalies, velocity checks, and known-bad indicators.
Signal examples
Use a mix of behavioral and contextual signals: new device, unusual device configuration, impossible travel between logins, fresh install, and atypical transaction volume. Integrate telemetry from client apps and server-side logs for richer detection.
Action matrix
Design an action matrix: allow (low risk), step-up authentication (medium risk), block or require manual review (high risk). Ensure actions are explainable, auditable, and reversible in a secure way with human oversight when necessary.
Feedback loops
Continuously tune RBA with feedback from incidents, false positive rates, and user complaints. Use A/B testing to measure the impact on conversion and security outcomes.
Session & Token Management
Secure token practices
Use short-lived access tokens with secure refresh tokens. Store tokens securely: mobile secure storage (Keychain/Android Keystore) and browser memory (avoid localStorage for sensitive tokens). Use refresh token rotation and revoke on suspicious events.
Session expiry & logout
Balance convenience and security: reasonable inactivity timeouts and absolute session limits for sensitive features. Provide a prominent, one-click global logout and device management UI to see active sessions and revoke them quickly.
CSRF & XSS mitigation
Protect web clients with SameSite cookies, anti-CSRF tokens, and strict Content Security Policy (CSP). Regularly test with SAST/DAST and pen testing to surface vulnerabilities that could leak tokens or escalate privileges.
Monitoring
Instrument sessions with telemetry to detect anomalies like concurrent sessions from distant geolocations, rapid transaction bursts, or IP churn. Alert and automate containment when clear criteria are met.
Account Recovery & Backup
Principles
Recovery must be secure, friction-aware, and privacy-preserving. Recovery paths are high-risk and often exploited; treat them as protected resources. Use friction and verification that matches the asset’s value — stronger checks for wallets with higher balances or linked funding.
Recovery options
Offer recovery via multi-step identity verification, seed phrase backup (for non-custodial), hardware keys, or trusted contacts. For custodial accounts, combine KYC verification with device attestations and proof-of-possession flows.
Protecting recovery flows
Monitor for social engineering attempts and unusual recovery frequency. Rate-limit and require multi-channel verification for high-value recoveries. Log and review recovery attempts before completing critical changes.
Usability trade-offs
Recovery should be clear and well-documented. Provide in-app guidance and wizards to help users create secure backups without relying on insecure workarounds like screenshots or unencrypted notes.
UX, Onboarding & Trust Signals
Clear communication
Design login prompts with clear explanations of why permissions are requested and what the user should expect. Use plain language to explain MFA setup, passkeys, and recovery steps. Provide inline help and contextual education without overwhelming first-time users.
Trust signals
Display verified badges, recent login history, and device lists to build user confidence. Use progressive disclosure to surface advanced security settings for power users while keeping the primary flows simple for novices.
Accessibility
Ensure authentication flows are accessible: support screen readers, provide alternatives to CAPTCHAs, and avoid visual-only cues. Offer localization and timezone-aware messaging for international users.
Performance
Authentication must be fast. Optimize network calls, use efficient cryptographic libraries, and fail gracefully with actionable error messages. Performance directly affects user trust and conversion.
Operational Readiness & Incident Response
Monitoring and detection
Instrument authentication endpoints for spikes, failed login attempts, and suspicious patterns. Use SIEM and SOAR tools to correlate alerts. Maintain dashboards for live visibility into authentication health and anomalies.
Playbooks & runbooks
Create playbooks for account takeover, credential stuffing, and API key exposure. Define escalation paths, legal hold procedures, and user notification templates. Practice incident simulations regularly to refine response times.
Legal & compliance
Ensure reporting and retention policies meet jurisdictions where you operate. Maintain audit logs with integrity protections and access controls. Coordinate with compliance teams for any regulatory notifications following breaches.
Post-incident
After containment, perform root cause analysis, issue patching, and communication to affected users. Update RBA models and defenses based on learnings, and publicly document steps taken to restore trust.
Third-party Integrations & APIs
Secure API design
Adopt least privilege for API keys, use short-lived tokens, and require mTLS where appropriate. Document authentication requirements clearly for partners and run regular security reviews of integrations that can affect login or recovery.
Vendor risk
Vet identity providers, analytics vendors, and SDKs for privacy and security posture. Limit scope for third-party SDKs, and host critical auth logic on your servers when possible to reduce supply-chain risk.
OAuth & scopes
When using OAuth, request minimal scopes and implement consent review screens. Allow users to revoke access and review authorized apps. Monitor for rogue clients and unusual token issuance patterns.
Automation & CI/CD
Keep secrets out of code; use secret stores and rotate credentials. Include auth-related tests in CI pipelines and run dependency scans to detect vulnerable libraries that could undermine login safety.
Roadmap & Next Steps
Immediate (0-3 months)
Roll out mandatory MFA for high-risk actions, implement refresh token rotation, and add device management UI. Harden recovery flows with additional verifications and start an RBA pilot for a sample of users to collect baseline signals and tune policies.
Mid-term (3-9 months)
Deploy WebAuthn support, integrate passkeys across platforms, and expand telemetry to include richer behavioral signals. Run purple-team exercises and improve incident playbooks. Evaluate vendor risk for identity providers and remove risky dependencies.
Long-term (9-18 months)
Mature RBA models with ML-backed scoring, introduce hardware-backed key enrollment for power users, and provide advanced privacy-preserving analytics to support fraud detection. Continuously measure KPIs like login success rate, account takeover rate, and recovery completion time.
Call to action
Form a cross-functional working group, prioritize implementation tasks, and schedule regular reviews. Security is a continuous process: keep iterating, measuring, and improving to protect user assets while maintaining excellent user experience.
Preview: Slide thumbnails for quick navigation
Full color • Times New Roman • 10pt body text