WH: No security risks on HealthCare.gov

The White House insisted Thursday that consumer information is safe on HealthCare.gov, despite a warning the site was at “high risk” for a security breach because of inadequate testing.

White House press secretary Jay Carney said that “consumers can trust that their information is protected by stringent security standards.”

{mosads}But a memo, obtained by Reuters, warned that sensitive data — like social security numbers and birth dates — could be compromised by security flaws that had not been discovered because the website had not undergone sufficient testing before it was launched.

“From a security perspective, the aspects of the system that were not tested due to the ongoing development exposed a level of uncertainty that can be deemed as a high risk,” the Sept. 27 memo read.

But the administration has insisted that consumers should not be concerned signing up for the website.

Carney said that reviewing security was a “constant process” for a “website of this complexity and size.” He also said “a process was put into place” to monitor potential security flaws.

“In any website like this you have to constantly monitor and mitigate any security risks,” Carney said.

His comments echoed assurances offered by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius in congressional testimony on Thursday.

Carney also said that he would not dispute Vice President Biden’s statement, in an interview with HLN on Wednesday, that President Obama had personally tried and failed to use the website.

“The president is conversant with technology and is fully computer capable,” Carney said.

But while the White House “would have definitely preferred a more functioning website,” Carney said the president was focused on the benefits that those who purchased insurance under ObamaCare would receive.