VA Joins SSA in Mandating Login.gov or ID.me for Online Accounts

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced that veterans will need to transition to either Login.gov or ID.me for accessing their benefits and healthcare services online over the next year. The transition is part of the VA’s effort to adopt a more modern and streamlined online login process.

The VA will phase out the MyHealtheVet user ID system after January 31, 2025, and the Defense Department’s DS Logon after September 30, 2025.

VA Chief Information Officer Kurt DelBene highlighted that systems like Login.gov or ID.me “enhance the existing security and safety of online interactions, offering a robust defense against unauthorized access and identity theft.”

The VA began using Login.gov as a sign-on option in March 2022 and had previously allowed veterans to create an account through ID.me. The department estimates that roughly 3 million veterans and beneficiaries will need to transition to one of these two identity verification platforms.

The move to consolidate sign-in options is part of a broader strategy to streamline access and improve the user experience for veterans. The VA received a $187 million investment from the Technology Modernization Fund in 2021 to adopt the Login service.

The VA’s announcement follows a similar policy implemented by the Social Security Administration (SSA), which now requires long-time users of its online system to switch to Login.gov as their authentication mechanism. Users who created online accounts before September 2021 are required to make this switch, although those with an ID.me account are exempt. This change is part of SSA’s efforts to enhance security and ease of access to its online services.

Login.gov, managed by the General Services Administration (GSA), provides a single sign-on solution for multiple government websites, improving user experience by allowing individuals to use one account to access various federal services securely. This past spring, Hanna Kim was appointed as Login.gov’s new director with a mandate to run a pilot for a selfie-based identity verification system, further enhancing the platform’s security features.

ID.me’s system also employs facial recognition technology to verify users’ identities by comparing a live selfie with the photo on a government-issued ID. The technology ensures that the person creating or accessing the account is the same individual depicted in the provided identification, enhancing security and reducing the risk of fraud or unauthorized access.

Source: Nextgov/FCW

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July 22, 2024 – by Cass Kennedy