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Cybersecurity starts at home

Even as President Barack Obama was using his State of the Union speech to recommend stronger cybersecurity for Americans, his administration was engaged in perhaps the most massive exchange of personal information in history.

It may come as no surprise to you that the Obamacare website, HealthCare.gov, is the culprit.

An investigation by The Associated Press has revealed that the millions of people who have used the website have unwittingly provided information, some of it very personal, to private companies.

A technology consultant hired by the AP found 50 third-party Internet connections embedded in the website, used by many Americans to explore options for health insurance and sign up for it.

Through those connections, some information provided by website users – including that on health conditions – is shared with dozens of private companies. Government officials say the firms use the information solely to determine how to improve the website’s performance. They add that those obtaining personal data are not able to identify the people from which it came.

But as the AP pointed out, that may not be true. Identifying the computer from which information was provided – which is possible – can pinpoint individuals.

Far from defending Americans against theft of personal information, the government may be contributing to it. Perhaps Obama should heed the old advice about physicians healing themselves.

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