Unraveling the Black Box - Past, Present and Future of Authentication in Rails

Explore the evolution and implementation of authentication in Rails applications through this 24-minute conference talk from RailsConf 2025. Discover the historical context of web authentication, examine the role of Devise and other major authentication precedents in Rails development, and understand how authentication became integrated into the Rails framework itself. Learn about Rails 8's new built-in authentication generator by analyzing its key source code elements and practical implementation strategies. Master modern authentication approaches including passwordless authentication with Passkeys and WebAuthn, OAuth and Single Sign-On (SSO) integration, and role-based and attribute-based authentication for admin and API security. Understand common security threats, potential pitfalls, and future opportunities in authentication development. Gain practical knowledge for implementing contemporary authentication flows using Rails' new generator while becoming aware of alternatives to traditional password-based authentication systems.