State of Connecticut Ushers in Digital Era, Easing Access to Critical Services

Objective

The State of Connecticut aimed to modernize its digital government infrastructure to become more resident-centric. The objective was to eliminate the silos between state agencies—such as the Department of Motor Vehicles, Department of Labor, and Department of Revenue Services—and create a seamless one-stop-shop digital experience for all constituents.

Challenge

Constituents faced significant frustration when interacting with the state online, as each agency operated its own legacy identity system. This fragmentation led to identity sprawl, where a single resident might have a dozen different accounts for different state services. For the state, this meant high administrative costs, duplicated data, and increased vulnerability to sophisticated fraud schemes, especially during surges in service demand.

Solution

The State of Connecticut deployed the Ping Identity (formerly ForgeRock) platform to serve as the foundation for its business.ct.gov digital identity hub. This CIAM solution provides a unified directory and authentication layer that supports Single Sign-On (SSO) and multi-factor authentication (MFA). The platform's flexible Trees (orchestration) allow the state to design custom registration and login journeys that meet the specific security and compliance requirements of different agencies while maintaining a consistent user interface.

Results

The transition to a unified identity platform has transformed how Connecticut interacts with its residents. The state has successfully moved millions of users into the new system, providing a faster and more intuitive way to access critical benefits and services. By centralizing identity, the state has improved its security posture, reduced help desk burdens related to password resets, and laid the groundwork for future digital innovations, such as a digital driver's license and expanded mobile services.