How to implement "remember me"-like functionality? - ibm-mobilefirst

I am developing an hybrid mobile application using ibm mobilefirst platform.
I am using the custom authentication module example to implement the login module. The problem here is when the user closes the application the app gets logged out.
Is there anyway that I can implement so that the user will not be logged out unless they opt to click on logout button. In simple I am trying to achieve something similar to Facebook remember me option.

You could do something like this (very rough idea):
As part of your authentication flow, if the user has passed the authentication - store in either localStorange or JSONStore a "token" that will basically state that the user has previously logged in. Also save in the server's database using userPrefs something to validate the token.
Whenever the app launches, it will attempt to connect to the server. The environment will be protected with a securityTest so that the server will present a challenge - if a token exist it will attempt to verify it, if there is no token, a login form will display instead.
Assuming this is a first-time launch, if the login passed successfully then store a token in the device and store in the database its "public key"
The next time the app is launched the challenge will be presented again but this time, since we have a token - it will attempt to verify it. If verified - don't present the login screen, skip the rest of the authentication flow and display the secure content
Something like that...
Perhaps to create a 'better' user experience, on app launch also extend the splash screen duration while you're checking for the token, This can be done using this API method.
On logout, clear the token from the device and server.

Related

How to tie an account from a backend server to a google assistant user

I have a web application setup to handle webhook requests from an Actions-on-Google/Dialogflow application using the Google Assistant. Users don't need to sign-in to a google account in order to use my web application and I'd prefer to keep it that way, so that users can sign in with any email address.
I also want my users to be able to interact with my application using the Google Assistant, and be able to access personal/contextual data via the assistant (i.e. when a speaker says, "what's on my shopping list", the web app needs to be able to know what my means).
Currently, I have this working by using my web app to issue a unique short code to my user (in the web app UI) and then with an intent on the Assistant where the speaker says "My code is 1-2-3-4" and then my web app can identify the user from then on (by saving the userId from the webhook request to whatever user got the short code 1234 and then using that userId to lookup the user on each subsequent request.)
My question is, is there a better way to do this? Ideally, in my web app, I'd like to have something like an "Authorize Google Assistant" button, which would then link the user's google account to their web-app account, so that the conversation on the Assistant is seamless.
Has anyone done this before?
Thanks
This is the perfect use case for Account Linking with the Google Assistant.
From your users' perspective, they will start to use your Action. If they're doing so through a speaker and they haven't linked the account yet, they'll be directed to a mobile device to do so. On a mobile device, they'll be redirected to a page on your website where they will been to authenticate themselves and authorize your server to let them in through the Assistant. Once they have done so, they won't need to log in again, the accounts will be linked, and they'll be able to use the voice Action without further obstruction.
From your perspective as a developer, you'll need to setup an OAuth2 server (I suggest the code flow). That login process I mentioned is the first step in the OAuth dance, and will end up with you issuing a code to Google. They will then exchange this code for an Auth Token (with a limited lifetime) and a Refresh Token (which does not expire). They will periodically use the Refresh Token to get new, valid, Auth Tokens for this user. When the user issues a voice command, the Auth Token will be passed as a field in the JSON to your fulfillment server, and you can use this to verify who the user is and that they are authorized to use your service.

OneDrive Authentication & Shared URL access

Couple of questions:
I implemented the authentication process with OneDrive. My desktop application is designed for end-users. Every time the application is launched the little browser window pops up asking the user to confirm access...and if more than 1 hour passed user needs to provide username and password. Is there any way that end-user with SOME SORT of saved credentials (or user Code +user Secret, or API code + API secret) will be able to invoke the application and not be prompted by browser form (that currently requires login - if access token expired - or confirmation)?
The goal of my application is file sharing - that is, one end user may send URL (to the file that he uploaded to OneDrive) to another user and the latter should be able to download the file by clicking on the link (without any prompts, exactly like in manual process of sharing link to the file in OneDrive). Is it possible? If yes, how to achieve that? That is, how do I get that URL? Redandent to say that I am looking for a programmatic way to obtain a URL that will achieve the above described)
The OneDrive authentication process uses Microsoft account, which supports OAuth 2.0. You should be able to point the user to:
https://login.live.com/oauth20_authorize.srf?client_id=CLIENT_ID&scope=SCOPE&response_type=code&redirect_uri=REDIRECT_URI
Once the user authenticated and authorizes your app, the user will be taken to REDIRECT_URI/?code=CODE, where your app can exchange that code for an access token at:
https://login.live.com/oauth20_token.srf?client_id=CLIENT_ID&client_secret=CLIENT_SECRET&code=CODE&grant_type=authorization_code&redirect_uri=REDIRECT_URI.
There are more details at http://onedrive.github.io/auth/msa_oauth.htm.

Google Plus login with Javascript and Authenticating with PHP

While implementing the Facebook Connect to a web application , its possible to show Facebook Sign up page in a pop up and once logging in and Granting permissions are complete, its possible to Authenticate Again in PHP and to get the necessary details of the user, - id, email etc.
I believe, thats secure because, the User Insertion is not based on the Ajax Request Parameters.
Is it possible to do the same with Google Plus Login also ?
Means - Logging in to Google - Using Javascript SDK, asking permissions, Authenticating all done in a Pop Up Window. and then, Creating a new user with the Help of google-api-php-client ??
Yes, what you're trying to do is outlined with https://developers.google.com/+/web/signin/server-side-flow which includes some PHP code samples to help you do this. In general, the steps at authentication time are:
User clicks the "Sign in with Google" button which may pop-up a new window at Google prompting them to log in and authorize your webapp.
After they do so, a one-time code is sent to a JavaScript callback you specify.
Your Javascript method sends this code to your PHP server.
Your PHP server uses the client library to contact Google's server and exchange this one-time code for an access token and refresh token, which you keep and use to perform actions on the user's behalf.

Best worklight practices to logout and to remember a session

I want to know what are the best practices, when using Worklight:
To Logout
To Maintain the user logged in, after application relaunch.
To login a user directly after an account creation
I am using Worklight 6 authentication, with a custom login module, for an Hybrid App (HTML5)
If there is a sample doing all these feature, it will be great, otherwise, any code snippets and advices should help me.
Thanks
Can't exactly say that these are 'best practices', but this is what I would do in these situations:
To Logout
Don't have much to say here. Clear anything and everything that the user could use to access resources on the server, including cookies. As you probably know, the login modules come with a logout function call where you can perform these operations.
To Maintain the user logged in, after application relaunch
After the first login, use some local storage mechanism, such as JSONStore, in order to save the credentials. JSONStore can encrypt all data saved locally as well. When the user starts the app, instead of prompting for login credentials, check the local storage to see if the credentials already exist and then send them to the server to log in.
To login a user directly after an account creation
I'd use a similar approach as above. When the user sends their account information to the server, save it to local storage. If the account creation was successful, then the server can send a success response to the client which can then automatically send the credentials back to the server to log them in. If the server sends a failure response, then the credentials should be deleted from the local store and the user will be prompted to try to register again.

How to maintain session in IBM worklight server side login module

In my IBM worklight demo app I've implemented Login Module. It works fine, but in what way I should maintain the session ? I want to log-out my user if log-out action is performed but not when app goes into background. Currently when my app is closed by Android device back button or anyhow if app goes into background session gets expire and again user has to login. Can I achieve this maintaining some server side session?
When you close your application OS destroys WebView component thus destroying your http context, specifically jSessionId cookie. As a result next time you open it you will have a new session and will need to reauthenticate.
If you really want to implement "remember me" functionality there are several solutions. One might be the following
keep in mind that "remember me" greatly reduces security level
see #1
create some sort of server side token and store it on a client side (e.g. in localStorage, encryptedCache or JSONStore)
Make sure that this token is associated with your user identity on a server side
Send this token to server on application startup (e.g. as a global header, as an adapter procedure invocation param etc.)
Detect this token in your login module and establish authenticated session.