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Government launches login.gov to simplify access to public services

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Re: Government launches login.gov to simplify access to public services

#21

Post by hartator »

ocdtrekkie wrote: post #2

This is kinda cool, but it's also a little concerning. One of the ways our government protects our privacy is specifically by not centralizing information. Just because you pay taxes or have healthcare doesn't mean the police has that info, for example. The efficiency of connecting a large number of governmental agencies to a single account for you is pretty concerning, it puts all the data in one spot that can be ex…

I don't get why you downvoted. One phishing on your healthcare plan and you loose access to your taxes.

Re: Government launches login.gov to simplify access to public services

#23

Post by JaniceLeblanc »

whalesalad wrote: post #19

Ironic that https://login.gov does not have a login form located anywhere on it. Just a teeny and hard-to-notice "Manage Account" text link in the corner.

I wouldn't call Manage Account "teeny and hard-to-notice". I spotted it immediatelly as I'm used to look up in the right corner for logging in on for example reddit.

Re: Government launches login.gov to simplify access to public services

#24

Post by dragonwriter »

dkhenry wrote: post #13
dragonwriter wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Its important to remember that login.gov isn't an account its an Identity Provider. Doesn't matter, the consequenes are the same. If it is compromised or exploited (internally or externally) the exploiter can access all of your information from, and impersonate you too, all the government systems that rely on it for identity.

I don't think that was the concern being expressed by the grandparent. If the concern was the government now has a secret trove of all your information this specific product doesn't change anything on that front as it doesn't store your information it just acts as an identity provider. If the concern is exploiting this one account allow an attacker to get at all your government systems, then yes this is a new treasur…

I'm not saying that it's not better net, I’m saying that, insofar as there is an internal or external risk of compromise or abuse, a single government identity provider poses the same kind of risk as a single government profile would provide.

Re: Government launches login.gov to simplify access to public services

#25

Post by rhencke »

whalesalad wrote: post #19

Ironic that https://login.gov does not have a login form located anywhere on it. Just a teeny and hard-to-notice "Manage Account" text link in the corner.

Consider this may be on purpose:

    Not all information requires an identity system to manage
    access. You can protect the privacy of users and reduce
    the security risk to your systems by avoiding any
    unnecessary collection of personally identifiable
    information — this even includes contact details.

Re: Government launches login.gov to simplify access to public services

#29

Post by TulliusCicero »

gitchanhub wrote: post #15

We have a similar service in Hungary since 2005. I wonder why something like this was not a thing in the US before? I mean we are not a 3rd world country but definitly behind the US in almost every aspect. Is it something to do with the relationship between the states and the federal government?

The US is backwards in plenty of ways, honestly, and the government is frequently a good (bad?) example. Moved to Germany a year ago, the government just seems so competent and drama-free here in comparison.

Re: Government launches login.gov to simplify access to public services

#30

Post by oh_sigh »

grzm wrote: post #9
oh_sigh wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I know I'm not supposed to say this, but you obviously either didn't read the article or read it but didn't understand it, and perhaps you would be better off reading it more closely before commenting. The article lays out that this is not centralizing information, but is merely allowing a bunch of different agencies to use it as an identity provider. The same way I can, say, connect to my spotify via my Google+ acco…

> I know I'm not supposed to say this, but you obviously either didn't read the article If you're referring to the guidelines, they also show how leaving out sentiments like these doesn't diminish the clarification you're adding: > Please don't insinuate that someone hasn't read an article. "Did you even read the article? It mentions that" can be shortened to "The article mentions that." [0] https://news.ycombinator.…

Perhaps the gentle chiding will encourage people to read the article before commenting in the future?
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