Glossary Item Box

Government Gateway 2.2.0 (MR-01) ISV Developer Help (Doc Version 06/03/08) | Send comments on this topic.

# Selecting an Authentication Type

# How to Select a Credential Authentication Type

The user selects the authentication type they want to use; either a User ID/password or a digital certificate.

For a User ID/password the user provides the password they want to use – although password composition rules apply – and the Gateway automatically generates the User ID. The user also supplies a name.

To use a digital certificate the user must have already obtained an X.509 digital certificate from an appropriate certification authority (CA). Certificates for use with the Gateway are currently available from:

- Equifax
- Chamber SimplySign

The Gateway checks the supplied certificate against the appropriate Certificate Revocation List (CRL) to ensure it is valid and checks the signature to ensure that the contents have not been altered. The certificate includes the user's identity (i.e. name).

Since a digital certificate (authentication level 2 is typical) is more secure than a User ID/password (authentication level 1) some services mandate the use of a digital certificate. Services that only require a User ID/password (authentication level 1) can be accessed with a certificate (authentication level 2) – but not the converse.

The authentication type a user chooses at registration depends on the services they envisage they want to use – although once registered a user can add additional authentication types. Each service specifies the minimum authentication level (and therefore the authentication type) a user must have to enrol in that service. The following is the typical association between authentication level and authentication type:

- Level 0: no authentication
- Level 1: User ID/password
- Level 1.5: User ID/password plus a security phrase
- Level 2 or 3: certificate/smart card

The SOAP Public Interface GsoGetServiceInfo method returns a full set of information about a specified service, including the authentication level required to use the service.

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