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IRS to adopt Login.gov as user authentication tool

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Re: IRS to adopt Login.gov as user authentication tool

#61

Post by pokoleo »

throw0101a wrote: post #46

In Canada, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) allows you you to leverage existing relationships with banks and credit unions, "Sign-in Partners": * https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/e-services/... * https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/e-services/... * https://verified.me/government-sign-in-by-verified-me/ You can also create a stand-alone account with the CRA if you wish. Other federal agenci…

Major difference in Canada is the # of banks. The big five dominate[1] unlike in the US where there are 100+[2]

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_banks_and_credit_union... [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_banks_in_the_U...

Re: IRS to adopt Login.gov as user authentication tool

#62

Post by babypuncher »

jcadam wrote: post #14
zht wrote: post #6

love that Americans are always worried about some sort of national ID/database of citizens being used for nefarious needs

The main issue is if it's required. Not so worried about myself - I'm a veteran which means my fingerprints and DNA are already on file with the feds somewhere :), but US Citizens with no particular connection to the federal government absolutely shouldn't have to need a "National ID."

Everyone is already issued a social security number. I'm not sure how a more modern, cryptographic ally secure version would be any more concerning in this regard.

Re: IRS to adopt Login.gov as user authentication tool

#63

Post by m-ee »

wyc wrote: post #5

login.gov is open source! They also encrypt user data in a way that they can't access it without the user's password, precluding the formation of a national registry that could be used towards nefarious and anti-democratic purposes. As a result, account recovery looks a lot like re-registration, which I think is a great thing. https://github.com/18F/identity-idp It's built on Rails, and I'm really impressed at the en…

Their 2FA was broken in a way that required me to delete my account, which is a pain as now I have to redo my resume for applying to federal jobs. I had an old account which worked fine but when trying to access it again it always said my 2FA code was incorrect.

Still I do prefer this to ID.me which I needed to use for CA unemployment.

Re: IRS to adopt Login.gov as user authentication tool

#64

Post by alistairSH »

jcadam wrote: post #14
zht wrote: post #6

love that Americans are always worried about some sort of national ID/database of citizens being used for nefarious needs

The main issue is if it's required. Not so worried about myself - I'm a veteran which means my fingerprints and DNA are already on file with the feds somewhere :), but US Citizens with no particular connection to the federal government absolutely shouldn't have to need a "National ID."

...but US Citizens with no particular connection to the federal government...

By virtue of living here, you already have a connection. At minimum, you have to tax various taxes.

If it's just Uncle Sam that's the problem, then we use something like RealID at the state level.

Re: IRS to adopt Login.gov as user authentication tool

#65

Post by vineyardmike »

jcadam wrote: post #42
xxpor wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And yet, everyone suffers because of it. We have endless SSN breaches because at the end of the day, having a unique ID for people is really valuable! We could have something way safer, but we get stuck with the status quo which satisfies no one.

There are ways to solve that problem whilst still protecting privacy, but there's no benefit in that for the ruling class. Once the infrastructure is in place, we all know governments would eventually use it to track all sorts of additional information/activity about us.

> use it to track all sorts of additional information/activity about us.

They already do!

There is so many quasi-national tracking and gov approved monopolies that they already get what they need.

Everywhere is tracked with license plate scanners, so you can't go anywhere.

Everyone realistically uses VISA or mastercard, so you can't buy anything. If you don't you're still probably banked and connected to credit agencies, so you can still be tracked. Good luck getting cash without the gov knowing. Just look at the IRS data.

You register with the gov to drive, so your IDed already by someone.

NSA et al. track god knows what about you across the internet and abroad, and where they don't go some ad network goes.

I think the only thing that we don't track is guns... and thats probably something we should track.

Re: IRS to adopt Login.gov as user authentication tool

#66

Post by mdb31 »

mmaunder wrote: post #51
mdb31 wrote: post #15

I'm a foreigner (yes, I know, sorry, sorry) who is a "US Person" and thus needs to (and, to be perfectly clear, is happy to, I'm sorry, I'm not-sorry, I'm sorry about being not-sorry?) pay US income tax. The IRS system is, by far, the worst I've ever had to deal with, and in this I'm comparing the US to countries like Rwanda, where, for some weird reason, I'm also required to pay taxes. Getting an ITIN (sort-of like…

I was a US person with an ITIN and have become a naturalized citizen. ITINs are very different to SSN. Honestly I've found the USA very easy to deal with compared to the UK, France of South Africa where I've lived. The challenge with an ITIN is it blurs into immigration, visa status, whether you are violating visa terms, whether your ITIN - which you can get on a tourist visa - is an indication that you're trying to…

Sorry, I'm not blurring my ITIN with immigration status or whatever. I have not visited the US since 2004, I have no desire to return, and I have not done any business there since 2002.

I just want an ITIN that is, like, actually in my name. Plus the IRS to agree that I do not owe any taxes in the 20-or-so ITINs that they have issued in various misspelled variations of my name.

But yeah, to get any clarity, I apparently need to go to Austin, Texas, in 2020.

And time machines are "easy to deal with", apparently?

Re: IRS to adopt Login.gov as user authentication tool

#67

Post by Jerrrry »

atlgator wrote: post #52
awb wrote: post #17

Has anyone here worked on government websites or APIs? I'm curious what the experience was like.

It's standards based just like any other SSO these days: OpenID Connect and SAML. Is there something specific you want to know?

This is correct.

The "FedRamp" contract overhaul pretty much locks in the requirements and specifications to these above implementations.

I have designed an API that revolves around and side-steps this that currently serves 60 million US civilians...but in the end, the security assessment pretty much comes down to the Privacy Acts interpretations and the common sense security landscape.

Re: IRS to adopt Login.gov as user authentication tool

#68

Post by someguyonhn42 »

zht wrote: post #6

love that Americans are always worried about some sort of national ID/database of citizens being used for nefarious needs

I have a healthy (hopefully) paranoia about the government in general. Recently found out my ssn and other info was leaked to the dark web™ (not shocked). one of the steps to rectify it is sign up with Login.gov. i'm actually glad this thing exits, its perfect timing for myself.

Re: IRS to adopt Login.gov as user authentication tool

#69

Post by rank0 »

kkielhofner wrote: post #36
zht wrote: post #6

love that Americans are always worried about some sort of national ID/database of citizens being used for nefarious needs

When it comes down to it the US has a fear driven culture, down to what essentially becomes paranoia. US violent crime statistics are at near all-time lows. Yet I know many, many people that will not leave their house without at least one firearm. This is in small towns that haven't seen a violent crime justifying the use of deadly force in many years. Many of these same people refuse to "live in fear" of the coronav…

I know you're just sharing your anecdote, but the vast majority (over 80%) of Americans live in urban areas. Many cities do in fact see violent crime. Although I don't own a firearm myself, I totally understand why someone else would want one in my neighborhood. Violent crime is not unusual where I live.

Don't let your bubble from small town USA distort your view of the entire country.

Re: IRS to adopt Login.gov as user authentication tool

#70

Post by TameAntelope »

akira2501 wrote: post #47
kkielhofner wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When it comes down to it the US has a fear driven culture, down to what essentially becomes paranoia. US violent crime statistics are at near all-time lows. Yet I know many, many people that will not leave their house without at least one firearm. This is in small towns that haven't seen a violent crime justifying the use of deadly force in many years. Many of these same people refuse to "live in fear" of the coronav…

> yet they live essentially petrified of violent crime to the point of carrying a deadly weapon for self-defense on their person at all times That's an odd way of stating it. They're concerned, so they're arming themselves.. but continuing on with their lives. Sounds like the opposite of "petrified" to me.

What's odd about saying it's completely innumerate to carry a gun on your person at all times?

And don't for one second pretend Americans are "continuing on with their lives", what a joke; gun culture is huge in the US, people are absolutely obsessed with the things.

Hardly a more obvious "not over it" situation exists than Americans and their guns.

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