The Secrets They Keep: The Bureau of Public Debt's Cybersecurity Activities
The Center for Regulatory Effectiveness (CRE), in its role as a watchdog, asked the Information Technology Group (ITG) of the Treasury Department's Bureau of Public Debt (BPD) whether they were planning to offer to provide federal agencies with eAuthentication services.

Despite a number of phone conversations and e-mails, CRE has not yet received a yes or no answer to a simple question. BPD's reticence to answer a question from the public seems to be at odds with the transparent, collaborative approach to the private sector urged by OMB. In a recent interview with the Federal Times, Clay Johnson, III, OMB's Deputy Director for Management, stated "We can be more interactive, more collaborative with the private sector, just like we can be more collaborative with the inside groups that are bidding as well."

As a watchdog, CRE interacts with a wide-range of federal agencies, almost always in a mutually open and forthcoming manner. CRE hopes that the recalcitrance seen so far is an aberration and not indicative of BPD's policies.