1. Introduction & Purpose
What this presentation covers
Why login matters for Ledger Live
Short summary
Ledger Live is the user-facing application that enables users to manage their hardware wallets, check balances, and sign transactions securely. The sign-in experience is the first line of user trust: its design, clarity, and security controls directly affect user confidence and the safety of their assets. This presentation walks through the essential aspects of designing a secure, user-friendly login flow for Ledger Live, including risk considerations, implementation guidance, and practical UX tips.
2. Threat Model & Assumptions
Identify adversaries
Common attack vectors
Trust boundaries
When planning sign-in security, enumerate who might attack the system: remote attackers phishing for credentials, local attackers with physical access, malware attempting to intercept communication, or social-engineering attempts to obtain recovery phrases. Assume that endpoints may be compromised and design controls that minimize single points of failure.
3. Authentication Options
Hardware-based confirmation
Two-factor and device attestation
Passwordless vs password
Ledger Live should prioritize hardware-backed authentication where the user confirms sensitive actions on their Ledger device. Complement device confirmation with strong second factors: WebAuthn (FIDO2) for passwordless flows, time-based one-time passwords (TOTP) as a fallback, and device attestation to verify genuine devices. Avoid over-reliance on single-factor passwords for transaction signing.
4. Secure Sign-In UX
Clarity and minimalism
Error states and guidance
Visual affordances for security
Design sign-in screens to be clean and unambiguous. Provide clear labels (e.g., "Connect your Ledger device and confirm the action on the device"). Clearly explain why a user is being asked to re-authenticate. Use consistent visual cues for secure states (icons, color accents) but avoid security theater—make the cues meaningful. Give users precise, actionable error messages rather than generic failures.
5. Session Management & Token Security
Short-lived tokens
Refresh and rotation
Protect tokens in transport and at rest
Use short-lived access tokens and refresh tokens stored securely with platform-appropriate storage (e.g., Keychain on macOS/iOS, Windows Credential Manager, secure enclave when available). Rotate and revoke tokens on logout or suspicious activity. Ensure all API calls use TLS with HSTS and certificate pinning where applicable. Consider binding session tokens to device identifiers and attestation to make token theft less useful for attackers.
6. Error Handling & Phishing Resistance
Detecting suspicious requests
Phishing-aware UX
Reporting and remediation
Flag anomalous requests (e.g., unusual IP geolocation or rapid repeated attempts) and require revalidation in those cases. Educate users through inline tips about official communication channels and never request recovery phrases. Provide a clear, high-visibility reporting path within the app so users can report suspected phishing or scams immediately.
7. Developer Checklist
Secure-by-design primitives
Logging and monitoring
Testing and audits
Implement threat modeling, automated tests for authentication flows, and regular security audits. Log authentication events with privacy in mind: collect enough to investigate incidents but avoid storing sensitive keys or seed material. Perform fuzzing and red-team exercises on the sign-in logic and backend APIs.
8. Recovery & Backup Practices
Protect recovery phrases
Account recovery alternatives
User education
The canonical recovery method for Ledger remains the recovery phrase stored offline. Never ask users to enter recovery phrases into Ledger Live for sign-in. Provide optional social or multi-party recovery as modern alternatives while ensuring they do not weaken the threat model. Continuously educate users about safe storage and the irreversible nature of losing seed material.
9. Compliance & Privacy Considerations
Data minimization
Regulatory alignment
User consent and transparency
Collect only the minimal personal data needed for authentication and analytics. Be transparent about what data is collected and why. Align with regional regulations such as GDPR principles and provide users with controls for data export, deletion, and consent revocation when feasible.
10. Key Takeaways & Next Steps
Synthesis
Immediate actions
Roadmap suggestions
A secure Ledger Live sign-in is built on hardware-backed confirmation, strong token practices, clear UX, phishing resistance, and continual testing. Immediate actions for teams include implementing WebAuthn for passwordless flows, tightening token lifetimes and rotation, creating in-app phishing reporting, and running a focused security audit on the wallet connection and session handling. Roadmap items include exploring multi-party recovery options, stronger device attestation, and adaptive authentication that balances convenience and risk.