From the weekly USAC Schools & Libraries Program News Brief:
MFA for EPC Users and BEAR Form Filers Is Coming on July 27
USAC is adding multifactor authentication (MFA) to increase the security of Universal Service Fund (USF) IT applications. MFA is a method of authenticating a computer user during the login process by requiring the user to enter two or more separate pieces of information, such as a password known to the user and a code we generate and send to the user to enter in order to gain access.
Tonight (July 24) starting at 9:00 pm EDT, we will be uploading the necessary software, creating accounts for EPC users and BEAR Form filers in One Portal (our MFA security system), and then testing everything. This work will continue through the weekend. We plan to send out emails notifying you that you can log in to your new One Portal accounts starting on Monday, July 27.
After you log in to One Portal, you will see a dashboard with links to the application(s) you can access (your “entitlements”). For example, if your username in EPC is also the email address you use to file BEAR Forms, you will see links to EPC and the BEAR Form after you log in to One Portal.
Please keep the following in mind:
- Add noreply@usac.org to your safe senders list so that you can receive your verification code.
- We are creating a One Portal account for each unique EPC username or BEAR Form email address. If you use the same email address for both applications, we will create a single One Portal account that will provide access to both.
- For the near term, BEAR Form filers will need to retain their BEAR login information – Billed Entity Number (BEN), Personal Identification Number (PIN), email address, and last name. Your One Portal username will not carry over into the BEAR Form, and you do not need multiple One Portal accounts if you file BEAR Forms for more than one billed entity.
You can refer to previous editions of the SL News Brief for information about MFA: June 26, July 10, and July 17. USAC will send an email on July 27 to all program participants who have new One Portal accounts with information on how to log in to One Portal for the first time.
If you need assistance, you can call the Client Service Bureau (CSB) at (888) 203-8100.
