Adding Authentication and Remote Support to a Local MCP Server

Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers facilitate the connection of large language models (LLMs) to external tools and resources via a standardized protocol. This guide details the process of transforming a local Playwright MCP server to be remote-ready, emphasizing security through the integration of Descope for authentication and authorization. With the potential risks of exposing an MCP server to the internet, the guide demonstrates safeguarding the server by incorporating an authentication proxy using Express, which controls access to the server. Through Descope's visual flow editor, authentication flows are created to ensure only authorized users can access the server, and role-based access control (RBAC) is implemented to restrict access to sensitive tools. The tutorial guides users through setting up Dynamic Client Registration (DCR) for automated client registration and configuring an authentication proxy to validate access tokens. It emphasizes the importance of audit logging for compliance and concludes by highlighting how these measures enable secure, collaborative environments for teams managing MCP servers.