News
Press Releases: E-Authentication
July 18, 2003
OMB and GSA Work to Increase Internet Security for Citizens
Policy Will Cut on-line Waiting Time for Government Services
Washington, D.C. - The Office of Management and Budget (OMB), in coordination with the General Services Administration (GSA), is improving identity validation and security on-line as well as reducing the time citizens wait to access government services on the internet. The two agencies have issued a Request for Comment on a draft policy that establishes uniform guidelines across government agencies for personalized, consistent and secure citizen access to government services on-line.
”The E-Authentication E-Gov initiative will enable citizens to securely and easily engage government on-line. It helps citizens and businesses have confidence in the protection of electronic transactions with the federal government,“ said Mark Forman, Administrator of E-Gov and Information Technology at OMB.
The draft policy requires agencies to map their on-line transactions, making citizen access to government services on-line faster and easier. It develops a government-wide standard for identity verification on-line.
Currently, each agency uses its own internet security programs. Developing a consistent authentication system across all government agencies will save the government money and citizens’ time and headaches.
Citizens and businesses will have a secure, easy-to-use and consistent method of proving identity to the government and will be spared the burden of having to keep track of multiple sets of identity credentials, such as PINS and passwords. Federal agencies will be able to reduce authentication system development and acquisition costs and reallocate labor resources previously used to develop such systems.
The draft policy can be viewed in PDF format by clicking here.
An interim E-Authentication gateway was launched in September 2002. This Request for Comment is a key milestone for the E-Authentication E-Gov initiative. As an integral part of the President’s Management Agenda, the E-Gov initiatives make it easier for citizens and businesses to interact with the government, save taxpayer dollars, and streamline citizen-to-government transactions. For more information on each of the President’s E-Government initiatives, please contact OMB Communications at 202-395-7254.
