Digital-signature technology allows senders of electronic documents to attach a code recipients can use to verify the identity of the sender and to assure that the document has not been altered during transmission. A handful of agencies have built systems that can accept digital signatures from a small circle of familiar customers. But most agencies have not tried to accept digital signatures on a large-scale basis. If these tests are successful, this new capability will surmont a barrier that has hindered government s ability to deliver more services and conduct transactions on the Internet. So far, agencies have had limited success in doing business with the public over the Internet because it is difficult to identify positively parties submitting forms and documents electronically.
Agencies are under the gun to provide such verification.
The Government Paperwork Elimination Act of 1998 requires agencies to accept electronic transactions from the public by 2003 when feasible. Mitchell said part of the problem is that the cost of building a digital-signature system is prohibitive for most agencies if they use it only on an occasional basis. She said the cost was worth it for the patent office because those customers send documents to the agency frequently. However, other agencies have broad arrays of customers, each of which contacts a particular agency infrequently. For these agencies, the solution is to purchase digital-signature technology per transaction rather than build an infrastructure themselves, Mitchell said.