The U.S. government Wednesday introduced greater transparency into its Vulnerabilities Equities Policy (VEP) program. This is the process by which government agencies decide whether to disclose or stockpile the cyber vulnerabilities they discover.

In a lengthy statement, White House Cybersecurity Coordinator Rob Joyce explained why not all discoveries are disclosed. That will not change; but in introducing greater transparency into the process of decision-making, he hopes “to demonstrate to the American people that the Federal Government is carefully weighing the risks and benefits as we carry out this important mission.”