Multi Factor authentication using MERN

This article will guide you through creating a Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) project using the MERN. This project aims to enhance security by implementing a multi-step authentication process. Users will be required to provide multiple forms of identification for access, adding an extra layer of protection.

Output Preview:

Prerequisites / Technologies Used:

• Node.js and npm
• MongoDB
• Express.js
• React
• JavaScript (ES6+)
• HTML/CSS

Approach:

The project will include:

• User login with MFA
• Generation and validation of one-time passwords (OTPs)
• Integration of OTP-based multi-factor authentication into the login process

Project Structure:

package.json:

Frontend

"dependencies": {
 "react": "^18.2.0",
 "react-dom": "^18.2.0",
 "react-scripts": "5.0.1",
 "web-vitals": "^2.1.4",
}

Backend

package.json:

"dependencies": {
 "body-parser": "^1.20.2",
 "cors": "^2.8.5",
 "express": "^4.18.2",
 "mongoose": "^7.6.5",
 "nodemailer": "^6.9.7",
 "randomatic": "^3.1.1",
 }

Steps to Create MERN Application:

Step 1: Create a new project directory:

mkdir mfa-mern
cd mfa-mern

Step 2: Initialize the project and set up the client and server directories:

npm init -y
mkdir client server

Step 3: Set Up the Backend (Node.js, Express.js, MongoDB)

cd server
npm init -y

Step 4: Install necessary dependencies:

npm install express mongoose nodemailer cors body-parser randomatic

Step 5: Set Up the Frontend (React)

cd ../client
npx create-react-app .

Step 6: Install necessary dependencies:

npm install react-router-dom

Step 7: Set Up MongoDB

Make sure you have MongoDB installed on your system. Start MongoDB and create a database named mfa-mern.

Implementation of Multi-Factor Authentication:

frontend:

Backend:

Step to Run Application: Run the application using the following command from the root directory of the project.

Start the server:

cd server
node server.js

Start the client:

cd client
npm start

Output: Open your browser and go to http://localhost:3000 to view the application.