WASHINGTON (AP) — An internal government memo obtained by The Associated Press shows administration officials were concerned that a lack of testing posed a "high" security risk for President Barack Obama's new health insurance website.
The Sept. 27 memo to Medicare chief Marylin Tavenner said a website contractor wasn't able to test all the security controls in one complete version of the system.
During the initial hours of launch, a new federal government website dedicated to health insurance exchanges remained largely inaccessible to consumers looking to enroll in the new program at the Dane County Job Center in Madison, Wis. Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2013. (AP)
Insufficient testing "exposed a level of uncertainty that can be deemed as a high risk," the memo said.
The memo recommended setting up a security team to address risks, conduct daily tests, and a full security test within two to three months of going live.
At a congressional hearing, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said the site's security certification is temporary, but asserted consumers' personal information is secure.
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