Secure WebSocket authentication should: 1) Use token-based authentication (JWT, etc.), 2) Implement secure token transmission, 3) Require HTTPS/WSS protocols, 4) Validate tokens on every message, 5) Implement token refresh mechanisms, 6) Handle authentication failures gracefully, 7) Protect against replay attacks, 8) Implement proper session management, 9) Use secure token storage, 10) Consider implementing message-level authentication for critical operations.