Improving Government Consumer Identity with Login.gov

The Challenge

Many public-facing Federal websites require users to create login accounts for access. Maintaining multiple user accounts exposes users to greater risk, increases government spending, and creates a negative user experience. Moreover, many agencies are constrained in the services they can offer online due to a lack of secure identity proofing.

The Solution

In partnership with GSA’s 18F, USDS successfully deployed login.gov as a common identity platform in April 2017 to improve and secure the experience of interacting with government online. Login.gov safeguards user data through encryption and mandatory two-factor authentication. In addition, 18F and USDS developers work with private sector companies on an ongoing basis to adhere to emerging standards in privacy-protecting authentication. Because login.gov was built using the most up-to-date technology, government developers can adopt login.gov within hours, not months, while simultaneously providing a modern experience to its users.

Update

The first login.gov integration launched in April 2017 with the Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection (CBP) public-facing recruitment website. Following this successful engagement, login.gov integrated with the redesigned CBP’s Trusted Traveler Program website in October. This integration resulted in exponential account growth, with over 1.5 million accounts created to date. Together, 18F and USDS have created a model for working with agency CIOs and developers to seamlessly adopt login.gov, allowing agencies to save money and time that would have otherwise been spent on building and maintaining customized systems. Currently, 18F and USDS are working to integrate with the Office of Personnel and Management’s USAJobs.gov site in early 2018, an engagement that will impact more than 12 million users.

Looking forward, GSA has signed MOUs with the Social Security Administration, Department of Education, and Railroad Retirement Board to integrate login.gov services for their users throughout 2018. USDS estimates that the Federal Government has the potential to save hundreds of millions of dollars by consolidating consumer identity under login.gov, while improving access and usability for all Americans.

Impact

This project was previously chronicled in our July 2017 Report to Congress.