Effective Friday, January 15, 2016, the BisonConnect team will be implementing Strong Authentication for when you access your BisonConnect account from devices that are not connected to the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) network. Currently, you use Strong Authentication to log onto the DOI network whenever you’re in a DOI office or accessing the DOI network remotely (VPN). This change does not affect these types of access to the DOI network; it will work the same way. Strong Authentication means that you provide two types of identification to access a computer system or network: one is typically a physical item, such as your DOI Access Card; and, the other is typically something you know, such as a security code or PIN. By using Strong Authentication, we ensure our information technology (IT) is secure, including BisonConnect. This is increasingly important in light of the growing threats from hackers, viruses, phishing attempts, and identity theft. Protecting our employees IT security is our top priority, and protecting the security of DOI’s IT is everyone’s responsibility.
Accessing BisonConnect on PC/Laptop Devices When you are accessing BisonConnect and you’re not connected to the DOI network (including VPN), the network will require you use your DOI Access Card plus PIN to access your account. If you use a Mac OS device, please follow the special instructions for Mac OS. Windows should work without additional steps. If you do not have a DOI Access Card and PIN, then you will not be able to access the network remotely. In other words, you will no longer be able to use your username and password.
Accessing BisonConnect from Government-furnished mobile devices The change occurring today may cause issues when accessing BisonConnect resources from some government-furnished mobile devices. Apple iOS Devices (iPhone, iPad)
- Voice, e-mail, Calendar, Contacts, and text messages (SMS) will work the same as before.
- Google iOS apps such as Drive, Sheets, and Docs will no longer work.
Android Devices
- Voice and text messages (SMS) will work the same as before.
- E-mail, Calendar, and Contacts will work the same as before on Samsung and Motorola phones. Device owners should expect up to a 4 hour delay while phones are updated. Simple confirmation settings and a BisonConnect application password will be required to complete the corporate update.
- Additionally, we anticipate that some Android phone users will need to follow manual steps to properly update their phones. If your email is not functioning normally by late-afternoon on Friday, please follow these steps.
- Android apps, such as Google Drive, Sheets, Hangouts/chat, and Docs will no longer work.
Blackberry Devices
- Voice, e-mail, Calendar, Contacts, text messages (SMS) and BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) will work the same as before.
- Google Chat for BlackBerry will no longer function.
BisonConnect and mobile device support staff are researching and testing solutions to restore any lost functionality to government-furnished mobile devices. The cyber security of our employees, and the DOI network, is our priority and at the forefront of the action we are taking today. We are working hard to find solutions that maintain security and restore lost functionality, and we will strive to get those functionalities back in place. NOTE: Mobile devices that are not enrolled in the enterprise Mobile Device Management (MDM) solution are not supported (contact your help desk to enroll in MDM). It is important to remember that a personal email account should never be used to conduct government business. This may lead to phishing exploits, viruses, spam, and theft of Personally Identifiable Information (PII). Please use the guide below to learn more about accessing BisonConnect using your DOI Access Card plus PIN.
Check out http://servicedesk.usgs.gov/latest-bison-connect-strong-authentication-information/ for the latest information.
