If the person in question is a new associate (eg, an external researcher, being given an account here for research collaboration), we need to enter them in the PDB. To do this, we need a certain set of information, including private things like date of birth and social security number. Since email is an insecure medium, we have established a secure web form for them to transmit this information to us so we can set up their PDB entries. (Such information, and passwords, should never be sent through plain email.) If the user does not have a SSN yet, they should put "not obtained yet" into the web form. [Note: It is easiest and most direct for the new user to fill out this form directly.]
Since basically anyone can connect to the above web form and request that they be entered in the PDB, the person requesting the account (not the person being added) should at about the same time send an email to help@cs indicating the request is on the way and is in fact legitimate.
Note: Submitting the private information via the above form does not automatically put you in the PDB. It merely provides that information to us in a secure fashion. Once we receive that information and the request for the person sponsoring them (ie, the faculty member responsible for the account to which they are being added) that the new user account should be created, the person will be registered in the PDB. After this is accomplished, we will contact that person to let them know they can proceed to the next step, selecting a NetID.