Yes, HealthCare.gov Was Hacked -- But Here's Why It May Not Be That Big of a Deal
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No evidence personal data was breached or even targeted, but malware did end up on Obamacare marketplace
A cyber intruder this summer was able to install malicious software on the Obamacare online marketplace, but there is no indication consumers personal data was breached or even targeted, the Wall Street Journal reports.
The perpetrator appears to have compromised a server used to test code for HealthCare.gov. The hack was not aimed specifically at the online insurance marketplace run by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, nor is it thought to be backed by a foreign government.
The intruder inserted malware to execute a “denial of service attack” on other websites.
"If this happened anywhere other than HealthCare.gov, it wouldn't be news," a senior Homeland Security Department official told the Journal.
Congress Responds to 'Deeply Troubling' Report
Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Tom Carper, D-Del., a staunch supporter of comprehensive cybersecurity legislation, called the report of the cyber breach “deeply troubling.”
Carper added, “It is critical that Congress work with the Administration and stakeholders to reform our laws to better combat attacks from malicious actors and comprehensively address our serious cyber challenges.”
Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, called on CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner to testify before his committee on Sept. 18 in response to news of the breach.
Issa has accused the agency of downplaying concerns over website vulnerabilities before the site launched last October.
Read the rest at ThreatWatch, Nextgov's regularly updated index of cyber breaches.
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