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General SSO Questions | Community SSO Questions | Institute Employee SSO Questions
- What is "SSO"? How did I end up there?
- "SSO" stands for "Single Sign-On" and it allows you to use your STScI SSO Portal credentials to log on to many services throughout the Institute. Rather than have each service maintain separate user accounts, users log in through the SSO Portal. This should all happen seamlessly in the background. A primary benefit is that you will only need to remember one user name and password.
- How long do I stay authenticated?
- An active connection can last for up to 10 hours. An idle session will expire after 4 hours. If you log into an SSO application your session will expire in 4 hours. If during that 4 hours you access that or another SSO application, your expiration time will be extended for another 4 hours, up to a total of 10 hours. Please note that some services have additional security needs requiring users to re-authenticate during the 10 hour SSO window.
- What happens when the 10 hour activity timer expires?
- You will be forwarded to the SSO Portal Login page, since your session has expired and you'll have to restart the clock by logging in, which sets up your first 4-hour sliding window.
- I am logging in with the correct information, and I can't log in. What should I do?
- It is possible your account has been locked. After 5 failed log in attempts, your account is locked for 15 minutes. This is a necessary security measure. If you need to have your account unlocked, you can wait 15 minutes and try logging in again or please contact support@stsci.edu and let them know you need your account unlocked. Provide as much information as possible, including your first name, last name, current and any previous email address you may have used with the system.
- I cannot access the application I'm trying to log into. What can I do?
- Please contact support@stsci.edu and provide as much information as possible, including the application you are trying to access, your first name, last name, current and any previous email address you may have used with the system.
Community SSO Questions (Institute employees please go here)
- What services are using SSO?
- MAST services requiring login now use SSO and other STScI services are currently being added.
- How do I reset my password?
- Video Instructions
Community members can go to the MyAccount portal and select the "Forgot your password?" link to request a password reset. - I have forgotten my password. What can I do?
- Your email address is the identification you use to log in to the system. If you have forgotten your password, click on the "Forgot your Password?" link and you will be able to reset your password. If you need further help, please contact support@stsci.edu and provide as much information as possible, including your first name, last name, current and any previous email address you may have used with the system.
- I do not have my account information. What can I do?
- If you do not remember which email address you used to sign up for your STScI account, please contact support@stsci.edu and provide as much information as possible, including your first name, last name, current and any previous email address you may have used with the system.
- How do I request an account?
- Video Instructions
Log into the system at https://myaccount.stsci.edu/cgi-bin/request.php and enter the required information. An email will be sent to your account for verification. Please be patient when waiting for email verification; your email provider may take from 5 minutes up to 24 hours to queue up email. Click on the link (only once) to verify your email address. Once you log in you will be able to enter additional information and connect to the service you are requesting access to. If you run into problems, check your spam folder to see if the email got misplaced, or please contact support@stsci.edu and provide as much information as possible, including your first name, last name, current and any previous email address you may have used with the system. - How do I edit my account information?
- Go to https://myaccount.stsci.edu/cgi-bin/edit.php to log in to your account to edit your information. If you run into problems please contact support@stsci.edu and provide as much information as possible, including your first name, last name, current and any previous email address you may have used with the system.
- My information is wrong and I cannot fix it. What can I do?
- After trying to log into https://myaccount.stsci.edu/cgi-bin/edit.php to modify your information, please contact support@stsci.edu and provide as much information as possible, including your first name, last name, current and any previous email address you may have used with the system.
- I received notice that my email address was changed. I didn't change it. Help!
- Please contact support@stsci.edu and provide your first name, last name, current and any previous email address you may have used with the system.
- What are the rules for creating a password?
- To register for an account your password must be at least 12 characters long and contain at least one upper case letter (e.g. A), at least one lower case letter (e.g. a), and at least one numerical digit (e.g. 1). Your password may not be the same as your email address, and your new password is compared against your previous 24 passwords. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact support@stsci.edu.
- How do I change my email address when I move?
- Go to https://myaccount.stsci.edu/cgi-bin/edit.php to log in to your account to edit your information. You will need to confirm your new email address before the change is made. Your old email address will receive an email saying you have requested the change. The new email address will receive a confirmation email with a link you must click in order to confirm the change. If you run into problems please contact support@stsci.edu and provide as much information as possible, including your first name, last name, and both your new and old email addresses. If you no longer have access to your old email address, you cannot change your contact details to the new address using the self-registration interface; you need to contact support@stsci.edu.
- How do I update my email address when I move without having access to my old email?
- If you no longer have access to your old email address, you cannot change your contact details to the new address using the self-registration interface; you need to contact support@stsci.edu.
Support is staffed M-F 9am-5pm Eastern Time.
Institute Employee SSO Questions
- I am an STScI employee. How do I log into services using the SSO?
- Log in using your STScI email address (e.g. lastname@stsci.edu) and your "AD" password, the same password you use to access your email. If you have any trouble, please contact support@stsci.edu and provide as much information as possible, including which service you are attempting to access.
- What services are using SSO?
- Webex, Alert Me @ STScI, and MAST services requiring login use SSO and other services are currently being added.
- What are the rules for creating a password?
- Institute employees should use their AD credentials. For further instructions, please see the following support pages: Windows Users, Mac Users, AD Password Policy.
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