FSO Success
Check DISS Out!
One FSO’s Journey to Registering Successfully with the New DISS
System!
At first, it felt like I was getting pranked. I had been hearing about DISS since Ben Carson was a presidential candidate, but suddenly – it was a reality backed by DSS Announcements and news from the National NCMS Convention (more on that soon!)
Emails from someone named “Alex” or “Marcy” at DMDC filled my inbox telling me that I had been “provisioned” as a “Hierarchy Manager” for DISS JVS. This was followed by many emails from my FSO superheroes asking, “you think this is legit?” and “what the heck is a Hierarchy Manager?”
Quick translation:
DISS is the system that will eventually replace JPAS.
A “Hierarchy Manager” is the same as the Account Manager (yeah, I am not sure why a new name was needed either). The Account Manager on record for your current organization should be receiving the Hierarchy Manager email. Hope you did that “SMO Clean Up” we provided last month!
June 2018
What should FSO’s be doing
this month?
- Provide Defensive Travel to your summer vacationers.
- Check in with DMDC on all the different ways they can assist you with DISS.
- Get yourself registered with DISS!
- Log into JPAS and any other timed data base so you don’t get locked out.
- Locate board minutes and COR information if you need it.
- Begin any new hire clearance actions 30 days out if needed.
- Update your passport!
- Administer any scheduled annual training: Annual Refresher, Insider Threat, Self-Inspections.
- Save big, tedious chores to do whenever you are on hold with DMDC!
- Say Hi to Felicity for us!
So – if you are the Account Manager – you will need to complete the Hierarchy Manager instructions that they have provided! And so – I went on.
STEP 1 to DISS: The notification and User Name formula
Here is the email that Marcy & Alex sent to me:
My dearest FSO (that part was made up),
You have been provisioned as a Hierarchy Manager and Security Officer for DISS JVS. Please review the following carefully to obtain your username and password to log into the application. Your username will be the first letter of your first name followed by 7 letters of your last name. If your name has less than 7 letters, it will be padded by zeros. If it has more than 7 letters, it will be cut off after the 7th letter. This is then followed by your birth day. All letters will be lower case.
Examples: John Smith, born on January 2nd, will have the following username: jsmith0002
John Smithsonian, born on July 14th, will have the following username: jsmithso14
To obtain your initial password, you must send an e-mail request to:
dodhra.mc-alex.dmdc.mbx.dodhra-dmdc-diss-support@mail.mil
FSO Alice is following DISS Instructions Rabbit as far as it goes…
The JVS application URL will be provided with the password instructions. Love, Alex & Marcy (that is also made up).”
FSO Dorothy is following the Yellow Brick DISS Instructions Road.
Action: Now – why they are referring to DISS as the “JVS Application” in this email, I can only say they wanted to make sure I read over it several times – which, I did! After making sure I understood the formula for my user name, I reached out to my new BFFs, Alex and Marcy, and they sent me the formula for my password.
Next: Step 2…
STEP 2 to DISS: The Password Formula (very paraphrased because it is unwise to share password formulas!)
“Hello our beloved FSO (not what they said),
Your password will be blank followed by blank with no blank.
Example: John Smith, whose blank is blank will look like this example: BLANK.
Note: You will need to log in within 30 days of receiving this e-mail to prevent account deactivation.
The application URL is: JVS- https://dissportal.nbis.mil/diss-jvs-ui
You will be asked to select your DoD Approved External Certification Authority (ECA) or approved Commercial certificates to get into the consent page. Click on login and you will be redirected to the User Registration Page.
If you experience any issues, the DMDC DISS Customer Call Center (CCC) can be reached at dmdc.contactcenter@mail.mil or at 1-800-467-5526.
Love Always, (nope) DISS Support Team”
Things to do while sitting on hold with DMDC for your new DISS Login support:
- Organize your play list
- Knit a sweater
- Delete all the photos from your phone of yourself that aren’t perfectly flattering
- Read War and Peace
- Do your taxes
- Do all of your friends taxes
- Make lists of what to do while on hold with DMDC and post them on Facebook
- Build a log cabin using hand crafted tools
- Create your own Stonehenge in your backyard
Action: With my user name and password in hand, I went to the portal above (you can also reach this by going to the DMDC DISS PAGE and the login is at the bottom center instead of the top left like JPAS was.)
FAIL!
Sigh, the portal did not work – I got all sorts of error messages and got very frustrated (who has time for this???) So, I did something that was probably – secretly – required all along. I called DMDC. Well played, DMDC, well played. After sitting on hold for 53 minutes – not joking and I am going to recommend more varied “hold” musak next survey – I got through to a very helpful person who we will call “Felicity”.
Ned, have you lost weight??
Check DISS out:
Here is what Felicity told me to do:
- Use Internet Explorer as my browser
- Clear ALL my internet history (so long saved timesheet!)
- Make sure you are already logged into your Token.
- Get to the log in page (and bookmark that sucker!)
- Agree to this:
• Click the Login Here:
Then, Felicity reset my password and told me repeatedly to keep my user name and password in a safe place.
No prob, Felicity – I am an FSO!
• Then, she stayed on the phone with me until I logged in.
Success!!! Hoo-ray!
Now, this is what makes me think that calling DMDC was their plan ALL along…
“While I have you …“ Felicity began and she went over several things with me.
- JPAS is STILL the main system of record we will ALL have to use until the government finishes all of the migration to DISS.
- She had me pull up the manual and reviewed several aspects with me like how to set up Users. (Oh yeah, none of the users transferred over – you will have to add them back in!)
- She said this instruction manual is subject to change – often!
- She said CSRs will replace RRUs but they are basically the same thing.
- You will still have to log in every 30 days! (Make sure you get a free text alert from this guy!)
- If your organization does not show up or you do not get the emails from Marcy and Alex, you will most likely have to submit a request form to DMDC – with PII and Cyber Challenge Training certificates in the last calendar year – for access. (Need those links – ask this guy!)
Hello, can you please put me back on hold? I love the DMDC hold music.. Thank you.
So, there you go.
Was it painful? Not really – just time consuming.
Was it worth it? Yes, once it was done. No one likes those “hanging over my head tasks”
and now – I can say that is finished. It’s a pretty good feeling.
Your turn!
- Make sure you are the primary Account Manager in JPAS.
- Contact DMDC if you are not getting the emails.
- Contact DMDC if you ARE getting the emails but need your password.
- Contact DMDC once you get your login information and it does not work.
- Let DMDC help you get in and listen to their instruction and advice.
- Tell FSO PRO any other tips that we may not have listed!
FSO SUCCESS
Who is FSO PRO?
Summer NISP Enhancement Idea:
Don’t forget, now – while everyone is planning summer vacation travel – is the best time to remind personnel about their Foreign Travel Reporting!
- Do a group briefing with “foreign food potluck”.
- Set up a bulletin board to post foreign vacation photos! ComicCon doesn’t count although we will meet aliens!
- Bring in a photographer and blank passport renewal forms for everyone who is up for renewal!
- Get five FSOs to sign up for the “FSO Success Newsletter” and we will send you a FSO Super Hero Drink cup to sip while on the beach!
Terms This Month:
DMDC: Defense Manpower Data Center, aka: the organization that manages both JPAS and DISS. Their number is: 800-467-5526. Memorize that!
DISS: Defense Information System for Security – the system that will replace JPAS.
JVS: Ironically, I could not find the exact terms, but it is most likely Joint Verification System and is used in conjunction with DISS Login.
Hierarchy Manager: For practical purposes, it is the same as a JPAS Account Manager, but for DISS.
CSR: Customer Service Request. The function that will replace RRUs in DISS.
RRUResearch Request and Upgrade – a request that you can utilize in JPAS about subjects but 7 times out of 10, they will tell you to contact the call center at 888-282-7682 if you have questions about a person’s clearance.
Enhancement: Any security awareness teaching, training, event or product development that is above the baseline standards of NISPOM and enhances your security program in a tangible way.
FSO PRO thanks all the FSOs out there for everything you do to keep the warfighter safe. Even the smallest task is designed to keep our nation’s information out of the hands of those who would do harm. We, as FSOs, are doing our part to stay vigilant and determined to protect those who protect us, even in our own small way.
That is why we say how awesome you are. And thank you.
