Health insurance exchanges’ cybersecurity is a top concern

Although the federal and state governments have taken special measures against data theft on the exchanges, look-a-like sites and even data interception are ongoing security risk concerns for government agencies. However, the reconstruction of the federal website may enhance the marketplaces’ cybersecurity.

The Washington Post reported Americans should be wary of sites claiming to the the federal or state health exchanges, as they may try to illicitly gain personal information. Yet this isn’t the only type of cyberrisk Americans may encounter. The Post reported the ecosystem of the exchanges naturally increases the chance of health insurance and financial information falling into the wrong hands. The reason is because the marketplaces include not only government agencies but third-party components, such as the insurance providers themselves, all of which may not have the same security standards in place.

According to CBS News, the federal government’s website doesn’t have a complete cybersecurity plan in place in order to avert the opportunity for data theft. However, the recent tech surge to fix the federal government’s website, HealthCare.gov, may lead to stronger security of the sites. The federal exchange’s rebuilding is already underway.