ATTENTION RETIRIES !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OPM is adding additional security to
your
Services Online account
Beginning on and after May 26th, 2022, you will notice a new process for signing into Services Online to better protect your personal information. To log in, you will be prompted to create a new username and password with login.gov. After that, whenever you log in to the Services Online site, you will use the login.gov username and password, as well as a special code to authenticate your identity and protect your account. You will no longer be able to log in using a claim number and password.
This document describes what you will need to do and explains what these changes will mean for you. We have also created a Step-by-Step guide with images.
What do I need to do on or after May 26th, 2022?
Create a login.gov account if you don't already have one.
Creating a login.gov account is a one-time task. After you create your login.gov account and link it with Services Online, you will be able to sign into Services Online using your login.gov account. To create a login.gov account, you'll need to:
- Go to Services Online Click on the button that says "Sign in with LOGIN.GOV."
- Create an account. You will only need to do this once.
- If you already have a login.gov account, you don't need to create a second one. Use your existing login.gov email address, password, plus one of the two-factor authentication methods to sign into Services Online. Then skip to Link your Services Online Account with Login.gov Account below.
- Enter an email address. Your new username for signing into Services Online will be your email address.
- Confirm your email.
- Create a strong password. Passwords must be at least twelve characters. There are no other restrictions. You can even use more than one word with spaces to get to 12 characters. Try using a phrase or a series of words that only you recognize.
- Your login.gov password should be different from passwords you use for other accounts such as your bank account or email. Using the same password for many accounts makes identity theft easier.
- Select your method of authentication. Using authentication methods keeps your account more secure than using only a password. You can choose between text messages, phone calls, or one of the other options accepted by login.gov.
- Test your authentication method. You will then be asked to use your authentication method to confirm that it works and verify who you are.
- Select Agree and Continue to Services Online to link your account. You've created an account with login.gov and can proceed to linking your Services Online account steps below.
Link your Services Online Account with login.gov Account
To link your login.gov account with Services Online, you will:
- Enter your claim number and your Services Online password (not your login.gov password) in the boxes provided on the Services Online website.
- If you are an existing Services Online user, you will use your existing Services Online password.
- If you are a new Services Online user, you will use the password that you received via postal mail.
- Click "Finish and sign in".
- You should now be on the Services Online dashboard that you are familiar with. Double check your Services Online Profile to make sure all your information is accurate.
- Now that you have linked your Services Online and login.gov accounts, you will need to use your login.gov email address, password, and two-factor authentication every time you want to sign into Services Online.
What if I already have a login.gov account?
If you already have a login.gov account, you don't need to create a second one. Use your existing login.gov email address, password, plus one of the two-factor authentication methods to sign into Services Online. You will still need to follow the steps to link your Services Online and login.gov accounts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Services Online using login.gov?
OPM is making these changes to deploy enhanced security protections to protect your Services Online account. Login.gov is an extra layer of security created by the government that uses multi-factor authentication and stronger passwords to protect your account. Other government agencies, such as the Small Business Administration and the Social Security Administration, already use login.gov to provide secure access to their government services.
What is multi-factor authentication?
Multi-factor authentication (sometimes referred to as "two-factor authentication") adds an additional layer of security to your account by requiring another piece of information along with your username and password to log in.
Authentication factors come in different forms, and you will be able to choose the form of authentication that works best for you. Examples of options you may be familiar with include receiving a short code via a text message or a phone call. If you would prefer to use other forms of authentication, login.gov provides various options.
The benefit of adding an additional layer of security is that, if your username and password were compromised by someone attempting to steal your identity, they would not be able to access your Services Online account without the second factor used to authenticate who you are.
What will happen to my Services Online account?
Nothing will happen to the information stored in your Services Online account. You'll still be able to accomplish everything you can do today. Once you set up a login.gov account, you will continue to visit https://www.servicesonline.opm.gov to access your account, but you will be prompted use your login.gov email address, password, and your multifactor authentication token to sign in. The only change is that you will no longer use your old Services Online claim number and password to sign in.
What email address do I use to create a login.gov account?
We recommend you use a personal email address that you control. We recommend you do not use an address that you may lose access to, such as a work email address or one tied to an organization with which you volunteer or an email address for a friend or family member whose account you may not be able to access without them, because if your circumstances change and you lose access to the email account you use for login.gov, it could make it difficult to access Services Online.
Can I share a login.gov account with another person?
No. Each person needs their own login.gov account. If you've shared your Services Online account in the past, with a spouse or child, you can no longer do this with login.gov.
If, for example, you and your spouse share an email address, and each use that email address to access Services Online, one of you will have to use a different email address for their login.gov account. OPM recognizes that this is an inconvenience, but this is a security feature of login.gov.
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