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Interview question · Application & API Security

Design the login, MFA and account recovery flows for a consumer web app that attackers target with credential stuffing.

The login form is the front door, but attackers use the side doors: reused passwords, guessable recovery, and MFA that can be phished or reset by a support agent.

hardEssentialNewPreparation tags: Google, Microsoft, MetaUpdated Nov 2026

The login form is the front door, but attackers use the side doors: reused passwords, guessable recovery, and MFA that can be phished or reset by a support agent.

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  1. 01 State the assumptions your answer depends on.
  2. 02 Explain the mechanism and choose a control.
  3. 03 Name a condition that would change your decision.

The worked answer includes an approach, scoring criteria and follow-up questions. Compare the reasoning with your own.

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What if · the follow-ups in this answer

The answer works through 6 follow-ups like an interviewer would

A consumer site is facing credential-stuffing attacks using leaked password lists, and wants to redesign login.

  1. How should passwords be stored?
  2. What password policy helps?
  3. How do you slow credential stuffing?
  4. What should error responses say?
  5. What adds the most protection?
  6. What login design would you propose?

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