A ProtectNetwork-ID is an online digitial identity for end-users to use for securely accessing any site on the Internet that is protected using open standard technologies such as SAML, Shibboleth® or OpenID. Here is a video clip on YouTube that demonstrates how you can use your single ProtectNetwork-ID to seamlessly access any OpenID site or SAML/Shibboleth enabled site on the Internet.

LOA refers to Levels of Assurance. We provide SAML, Shibboleth® and OpenID open standards compliant userID's at two different levels of assurance. Applicants may register for a userID at either of the two levels.

For registering an LOA-1 Self Service ProtectNetwork-ID you simply need to provide a username, password and a valid and verifyable email address on the userID registration page at the ProtectNetwork site. Once this information is provided, users receive an email confirming their request for a Self Service userID. The email contains further steps that they must follow inorder for their Self Service ProtectNetwork-ID to be activated. As for LOA-2 Validated ProtectNetwork-ID, additional steps must be followed. These steps are documented in our Identity Management Best Practices.

LOA-1 userID's are FREE for end-users to use. Validated high assurance LOA-2 ProtectNetwork-ID's are being made available at a heavily discounted introductory price of $49.99 USD per year. That's just $4.17 USD per month. This price includes our costs for provisioning your userID, providing authentication, identity proofing your credentials, customer support, and other operational costs.

The ProtectNetwork-ID's are valid for a year. The Self Service userID's get renewed automatically each year for FREE. However, the validated userID's need to be renewed each year explicitly after paying the annual renewl fee (discounted at 60% of the first years fee).

You may use your ProtectNetwork-ID with any Shibboleth® or OpenID enabled sites such as: Any site within the InCommon Federation (operated by Internet2) Any site within the UK wide Access Management Federation Any site within the Sweden wide SWAMID Federation Any site within the University of Texas System Federation The GridShib site The Wiki site at Internet2 The TestShib site Any OpenID enabled site

Yes. Using your ProtectNetwork-ID you can easily log into any Shibboleth® or OpenID protected website, portal or application. You no longer have to apply for multiple accounts or remember multiple username and passwords. No need to share your private information with multiple websites, portals and service providers.

Once you are at any OpenID enabled site, then, at the OpenID login prompt, simply type the URL: Your-ProtectNetwork-ID.protectnetwork.org This will automatically redirect you to the ProtectNetwork authentication page. On this page you can simply authenticate by inputting your regular ProtectNetwork ID and password. That's it, it is that simple!

The ProtectNetwork team has implemented a robust, secure and reliable infrastructure on the backend for safeguarding user information. Some of the details of our datacenter infrastructure are kept secret to prevent cyber threats and attacks. Some of the deployed technologies include a plethora of redundant high-speed networks, routers, switches, secure operating systems, secure databases, secure directory servers, intrusion detection and prevention systems, data replication systems, data archival and storage, uninterrupted power supplies, virus/spyware/worm scanners, load balancers, and others.

We hold all end-user personal information in strict confidence and will not share it with any third party without end-user's prior consent. Attributes related to ProtectNetwork-ID's are released to relevant trusted Shibboleth or OpenID Sites based on end-user requests and only after the user is authenticated at the ProtectNetwork site. ProtectNetwork has adopted IdM best practices and policies that reflect strong commitment to safeguarding end-user's personal information.

Yes. Simply goto the SSL protected forgot password page and answer your secret question. Information about your temporary password will be emailed to you at the email address provided by you earlier at the time of registration. The email will details some simple steps that you will be required to follow to reset a new password of your choice.

Yes. Your password is stored encrypted in our secure identity databases. In addition, the ProtectNetwork system provides end-to-end security via SSL so that all information between different end-points is trasmitted in a secure encrypted fashion.