This article describes how login.gov is used in the Point Blue Science Cloud for projects in the Avian Knowledge Network (AKN), including instructions for signing up.
Why login.gov?
The Point Blue Science Cloud technology that powers the AKN has been developed to meet the federal standard for security, FedRAMP, in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife (USFWS). As our federal partners seek to increase security compliance across all systems that hold their data, we have updated our system to meet their security needs.
This particular update is related to “Phish resistant multi-factor authentication” and is referenced in the Department of Interior memo, below
Department of Interior memo, “Implementation of Multi-Factor Authentication using Phishing-Resistant Credentials Directive” - https://pb-production-resources.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/docs/OCIO Memo_ Implementation of MFA Using Phishing-Resistant Credentials Directive_Signed_08262022.pdf
What is FedRAMP? - https://www.fedramp.gov/program-basics/
Who needs a login.gov account?
If you meet all of the following criteria, you need to sign up for a login.gov account to continue accessing your data.
You have access to at least one project within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife (USFWS) program
You are not using an email address ending in “fws.org” to access the data
You are not using an email address ending in “pointblue.org” to access the data
Can I opt out of using login.gov?
No, you can not opt out of using login.gov, as it is a new security requirement from the Department of Interior (DOI), who advises USFWS security policy.
You can, however, be removed from all USFWS projects, which would also relieve your account from the login.gov requirement. Please speak directly to the project leader(s) for the projects you would like to be removed from to complete this process.
Can I use my existing login.gov account?
You are welcome to use your existing login.gov account if it meets all of the following conditions:
The email address for the existing login.gov is the same as the email address for the existing AKN account.
The existing login.gov account uses two-factor authentication
How to create a new login.gov account (sign up for login.gov)
If you meet the criteria in the section “Who needs a login.gov account?”, you will use these instructions to create your new login.gov account.
Visit the following url and enter your email address to begin: https://data.pointblue.org/apps/authentication/pb_logout.php?app=Biologists&returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Fdata.pointblue.org%2Fscience%2Fbiologists%2F
After entering your email address, you should see a notice about the login.gov requirement for your account and a button that allows you to “Sign in with login.gov”. Click this button to continue.
Clicking the button will redirect your browser to the default login.gov sign in screen at secure.login.gov
Choose the “Create an account” option, then enter your email address. Please be sure to use the same email address as your existing AKN account. If the email address used for login.gov doesn’t match, you will not be able to sign in!
Next, read and accept the Rules of Use and use the “Submit” button to proceed.
You will see a screen asking you to check your email for a confirmation message. Follow the instructions to continue.
You will receive a message from login.gov prompting you to confirm your email address. Follow the instructions to proceed.
After confirming your email address, follow the instructions to create a strong password and continue.
Choose a method for two-factor authentication and continue.
This step provides additional security to your account by using a physical device that you own or control to confirm you are the true owner of this account.
It is recommended that you select the “Authentication application” option, as it is the most secure option that is generally available for most people.
Follow the instructions to validate your account’s two-factor authentication method.
Note: This way you’re asked to validate your account may be different, based on the authentication method you choose. The screenshot below shows the option for “Text or voice message”
After successfully adding a two-factor authentication method to your account, you will see a success message. This page will give you the option to include additional two-factor authentication methods. This additional method can be use in the event that you lose access to your first method.
For example, if you chose “Authentication app” as your first method, and “Backup codes” as your second method, you can use your backup codes to sign in if your phone is lost or stolen.
This step is optional, but recommended, as you cannot login if you loose access to your primary two-factor authentication method.
On the final screen, you should see a message saying that your email address will be shared with the Avian Knowledge Network. Please use the “Agree and continue” to complete your sign up.
If you are not automatically redirect to our website, please visit the following URL to sign in: https://data.pointblue.org/science/biologists
If you are not already immediately logged in, please repeat steps 1 and 2.
You will be redirected to login.gov. If you are not already signed in, please use the sign in option with your new login.gov credentials and two-factor authentication method.
Once completing the sign in process, you will be redirected to our apps to access your projects and data.