Fix/settings api auth

[anaghwadhwa123]

Description

This PR resolves an unauthenticated access vulnerability in the SettingsApi endpoint. Previously, the /settings endpoint was publicly accessible without authentication. By incorporating AuthenticationHelpers and enforcing before { authenticated? }, access to the configuration settings endpoint now strictly requires an authenticated user session.

Fixes Finding 6.6 in the Vulnerability Remediation Report.

Type of change

Please delete options that are not relevant.

• Bug fix (non-breaking change which fixes an issue)

How Has This Been Tested?

• Executed curl -i http://localhost:3000/api/settings without authentication headers.
• Result: Confirmed the endpoint rejects unauthenticated requests, returning an internal 419 CUSTOM status code with the payload {"error":"No authentication details provided. Authentication is required to access this resource."}.

Checklist:

• My code follows the style guidelines of this project
• I have performed a self-review of my own code
• I have commented my code, particularly in hard-to-understand areas
• I have made corresponding changes to the documentation if appropriate
• My changes generate no new warnings
• I have added tests that prove my fix is effective or that my feature works
• I have created or extended unit tests to address my new additions
• New and existing unit tests pass locally with my changes
• Any dependent changes have been merged and published in downstream modules