Healthcare.gov Users Urged to Change Passwords Over Heartbleed Fears

People who used the Obama administration’s healthcare.gov website to enroll in insurance plans under the government’s healthcare reform law are being warned to change their passwords in defense against the notorious Heartbleed internet security flaw.

“While there’s no indication that any personal information has ever been at risk, we have taken steps to address Heartbleed issues and reset consumers’ passwords out of an abundance of caution,” said a post on the website. The government is reportedly carrying out a review into the Heartbleed bug, according to the Associated Press.

The Heartbleed programming flaw has affected widely used encryption technology, and major internet services have recommended users change their website passwords. Critics have said the healthcare online enrollment presents myriad opportunities for hackers to exploit security flaws. The IRS has already said it was not affected by Heartbleed.

Obama announced this week that about 8 million people have enrolled in the insurance plans, exceeding forecasts.