During January 2026, Poned Ing enhanced the phidatahq/phidata repository by implementing audience-aware JWT authentication in the middleware layer. This work involved extending the JWTMiddleware constructor to accept an audience parameter and integrating audience verification, ensuring that JWT tokens are validated against expected recipients to reduce token misuse. The solution was developed using Python and focused on backend development, API security, and thorough testing practices. Poned Ing conducted comprehensive quality checks, including formatting, validation, and self-review, and verified the changes in clean environments. The update addressed a key security concern and demonstrated careful attention to robust authentication mechanisms.