What Public Law governs electronic transactions between the Federal Government and the Public?

Although confusing to many people, the Government Paperwork Elimination Act (GPEA) and the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) are not synonymous. While the PRA limits information the Federal government collects from the public in any form, the GPEA promotes electronic business with the public. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is responsible for issuing policies on implementation for both Acts. The GPEA (Public Law 105-277) took effect on October 21, 1998. Under the GPEA, persons required to submit information to the government, or maintain information, must be given the option to do so electronically, when practicable. This option includes implementing security appropriate for the information to be transmitted.

What is MIDS?

MIDS is the Minerals Information. It is a Web-based data collection system developed by the U.S. Geological Survey to enable respondents to submit, view, modify, print, and locally store canvass forms data in accordance with the GPEA. For each reporting period, you will receive an e-mail reminder to submit your data..

Why should I use the MIDS Web-based system?

An electronic data collection system not only speeds the collection, aggregation, and analyses of minerals information but also helps us expedite our publications to recipients. MIDS offers you many benefits over the traditional paper system:

• it’s fast...you can save time
• it’s accurate...because there are verification steps along the way, you can check and review your information before it is sent
• it’s convenient...MIDS is available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• it’s easy to use...it’s a step-by-step process that tells you what information you need to successfully complete your canvass form for any commodity
• it’s secure...MIDS offers the highest levels of security on the Internet

How can I become a MIDS user?

Follow this link to become a user of the e-forms system. Note that you may only register for these forms. (“these forms” should be a hyperlink to a page listing all forms currently on MIFORMS except for G04, G08, G36, G45)

Please note that many forms canvassing less than 10 operations are not presently on MIDS.

There are certain canvasses on MIDS for which you will not be able to submit registration forms. For those canvasses, they will automatically be added to your drop-down list of canvasses, if you meet the requirements to be considered as a respondent for a given year. If you qualified, an email will be sent to you as a reminder to submit your data. These canvasses include:

• Production Estimate (USGS Form 9-4042-A [one commodity] and USGS Form 9-4124-A [two or more commodities])
• Mine, Development, and Mineral Exploration Supplement (USGS Form 9-4000-A)
• Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (USGS Form 9-4040-A)

How will I know when I can submit data for the next reporting period?

For each reporting period, you will receive an e-mail reminder to submit your data.

Who should I contact with questions concerning user access/passwords, or the general operation and administration of the MIDS system?

You can contact the MIDS Administrators via email at vog.sgsu@abd_sdim or by using our feedback page. If you would like to speak with someone you can call the MIDS Administrators at 703-648-6437

Who should I contact regarding questions on how to complete a specific canvass form?

You can contact the MIDS Administrators via email at vog.sgsu@abd_sdim and your email will be routed to the appropriate person, or you can call NMIC Canvass Forms Hotline at 703-648-7960.

Can anyone see or change the data while it is in transit?

We employ industry-standard physical, electronic, and procedural security safeguards to protect the personally identifiable information that you have provided to us from loss, misuse, or unauthorized alteration. Whenever we prompt you to transmit sensitive information such as production data to us through our Web site, we support encryption of your data by your browser as it is transmitted. Our Web site employs Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) version 3.0 to provide authentication and encryption services. If anyone monitoring the line intercepts a transmission and modifies it, the data will fail to decrypt at the other end.

How can I ensure that my data are secure?

When you log onto our Web site, several things happen.

• On the top of your screen, you will notice that the “http” now has an “s” appended to it. This stands for “secure” and indicates that we are using a secure protocol called Secure Sockets Layer (SSL).
• Depending upon your browser, at the bottom of your screen you may notice that a small locked padlock symbol has appeared on the status bar. This padlock is always shown locked for secure sites. For non-secure sites, the padlock may appear either unlocked or not at all.

Also, minimize cache size if you want to prevent others who have access to your computer from seeing your proprietary data.

What is cache and how do I minimize its size?

To improve access to frequently requested Web pages, browsers typically store recently displayed pages to your hard disk in a special area called “cache.” This can allow others to see your proprietary data if they have access to your computer. Minimize cache size if you want to prevent others who have access to your computer from seeing your proprietary data. The procedure for minimizing cache size, clearing cache, or turning it off depends upon your browser. Check your browser’s help menu for instructions

How do I really know who it is at the other end of the connection?

The process of pretending to be a person (or Web site) which you are not is known as ‘masquerading.’ The process of discovering whether the site accessed is the site you believe it to be is known as ‘authentication.’ A ‘certificate’ is the way our Web site tells you, in a secure and trusted way, who we are. We use a certificate to authenticate our Web site to you. In this way, you are assured that you are connecting to the Web site that you think we are. The browser knows it is connected to the correct site after it validates the certificate authority, decrypts a coded signature, verifies the domain (Web site) name, and checks the expiration date.

Who authenticates your certificate and what does it show?

Depending upon your browser and browser version, a padlock symbol may appear in the status bar at the bottom of your screen, next to the Web address, or elsewhere on your screen. Clicking the padlock symbol will display the certificate properties. Depending on your browser the format of this information may differ. You will see that we employ DigiCert to ensure that we are who we say we are, the version of Secure Socket Layer (SSL) being used, and that we are using a ‘high’ (128-bit) level of encryption. You may also click on the DigiCert logo on our welcome screen to validate that we use a trusted certificate authority.

How do I know if a certificate is invalid or forged?

Browsers recognize all major trusted certificate authorities, and will warn us if the authentication was provided by an unknown or untrusted provider. For example, upon connecting to a Web site, Internet Explorer (depending upon the version) may display the following dialog:

This page requires a secure connection which includes server authentication. The Certificate Issuer for this site is untrusted or unknown. Do you wish to proceed? Yes | No | View Certificate | More Info

If a certificate is issued by a certification authority which the browser does not recognize, and a dialog similar to the one shown above appears, then be extremely careful about using the Web site any further.

What browsers work best with the MIDS system?

To use the MIDS Web site, you must use a Web browser that supports Secure Sockets Layers (SSL) version 3 protocols with 128-bit strong encryption capability and have JavaScript enabled. The latest versions of all modern direct-downloaded browsers meet the necessary criteria. The site works best with Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox

What are ‘sockets’?

Different sockets are used for different types of data. Web browsers use socket ‘80’ which normally contains unencrypted data that can be monitored by an unauthorized party.

What is Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)?

As its name implies, Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) secures the sockets that your data travels through. It provides authentication and encryption services. Although SSL was initially designed by Netscape, it is now supported by all popular Web browsers and servers. It has become the accepted standard method of providing security and is used by banks and credit card companies. Although your Web browser already has SSL built into it, SSL is only active when the Web page you are viewing supports its use. See ‘How can I ensure that my data are secure?’

Why is the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) version important?

A Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) version 3 supports 128-bit strong encryption. Anything less is inadequate. The latest versions of all direct-downloaded modern browsers meet the necessary criteria

How do I enable JavaScript?

Internet Explorer: Pull down the ‘Tools’ menu and choose ‘Internet Options.’ The ‘Internet Options’ dialog box appears. Click the ‘Security’ tab. Click the ‘Internet’ Web content zone. Click the ‘Custom level…’ button. Scroll down and locate the Level 1 heading labeled ‘Scripting’ and the Level 2 heading labeled ‘Active scripting’. Click the ‘Enable’ radio button. Click the OK button to close the ‘Security Settings’ window then click the OK button to close the ‘Internet Options’ window.

For all other browser, check your browser’s help menu for instructions.

What is 128-bit strong encryption?

128-bit strong encryption prevents your proprietary information from being read by others on the Internet while it is being transmitted between your Web browser and the MIDS Web site.

How do I know if I have 128-bit encryption?

The latest versions of all direct-downloaded modern browsers have 128-bit encryption. Internet Explorer supports 128-bit encryption since version 4.0.

Because 128-bit encryption technology cannot be exported, do international versions of browsers operate at lower levels of encryption

This is a common misconception. According to law, exported versions of browsers cannot initiate a request for 128-bit encryption for the current communications session. Requesting such a session would require that that 128-bit encryption technology be exported.

Resident on our server is a DigiCert Secure Site 128-bit encryption certificate. Suppose that an export version of a browser employing 56-bit encryption resides on the user’s computer. The communications session precedes as follows:

1. The user’s computer opens a line of communication with our server.
2. The user’s computer asks our server permission to use a 56-bit encryption protocol.
3. Our server refuses the request since it is configured to use only a high-security 128-bit encryption protocol.
4. The DigiCert certificate intercepts this refusal and counterproposes a 128-bit encryption protocol.
5. The user’s computer receives the proposal for 128-bit encryption and accepts. Until the user leaves our Web site, encryption occurs at the high-security 128-bit level.

What do you mean by ‘direct-downloaded browsers’ and where can I get them?

If you are using a Web browser provided by your Internet service provider or on-line service, the full security capabilities of MIDS may not be utilized. A few examples of service providers are America OnLine, Prodigy, CompuServe, and The Microsoft Network. Direct-downloaded browsers that meet MIDS security requirements are available from the Web sites of Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Safari, and Opera

Do you use cookies?

At this time, cookies are not required to access and use our Web site.