Authentication and authorization are essential for securing modern web applications. In Node.js, using JWT (JSON Web Tokens) has become a trending and efficient way to handle secure access control. JWT allows stateless authentication, making it ideal for RESTful APIs and microservices architecture.
When a user logs in, the server generates a JWT signed with a secret key or a private key (in case of RSA). This token is then sent to the client and stored typically in localStorage or HTTP-only cookies. For each subsequent request, the client sends the token in the header, commonly using the Bearer schema.
The backend uses middleware like jsonwebtoken in combination with Express.js to verify the token and extract user information. If the token is valid, the user gets access to protected routes and resources. Role-based access control (RBAC) can also be implemented to allow specific users access to different parts of the application.
JWTs are widely used in Node.js for API security, real-time applications, and mobile backends due to their lightweight and stateless nature. Key trends include integrating JWT with OAuth2.0, using refresh tokens for long-lived sessions, and enhancing security with HTTPS and token expiration strategies.
Popular npm packages include jsonwebtoken, bcryptjs for password hashing, and dotenv for environment variables. Combining JWT with MongoDB, Mongoose, and Express.js is a common stack for secure backend development in 2025.