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.
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.
How to create a new account (sign up for login.gov)
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!Finally, read and confirm the rules of use and use the “Submit” button to proceed.
https://secure.login.gov/sign_up/verify_email
You will receive a message from login.gov prompting you to confirm your email address:
Follow the link to confirm. After confirming, create a strong password that is at least 12 characters long
https://secure.login.gov/authentication_methods_setup
Choose an authentication method for two-factor authentication:
Follow the instructions to validate your account’s two-factor authentication method. Note: This will differ based on the authentication method you choose. The screenshot below shows the option for “Text or voice message”
https://secure.login.gov/auth_method_confirmation
https://secure.login.gov/sign_up/completed
