When selecting an identity and access management system for hospitals and the care sector, clinics face particular challenges. Compliance with strict data protection regulations such as the GDPR, the Patient Data Protection Act (PDSG) and industry-specific security standards (B3S) is just as important as the protection of sensitive patient data. Added to this is a high staff turnover, which requires reliable and scalable solutions.

You can find out why this doesn’t have to be a problem in our blog post.

In Germany, hospitals and care facilities are classified as critical infrastructures (KRITIS) and are therefore subject to strict regulatory requirements. The Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) defines risk areas such as data misuse by internal perpetrators, human error or a lack of separation of roles and functions. Against this backdrop, professional identity and access management (IAM) is a key prerequisite for information security and compliance.

At the same time, the number of serious cyberattacks on hospitals has increased significantly in recent years. Analyses show that inadequate role and authorization management is often a decisive success factor for attackers, for example through trivial passwords, insecure management of access data or overly extensive database rights. In addition, a lack of segmentation, overly broadly assigned authorizations and user accounts that are not deactivated promptly make it much easier for attacks to spread.

Prominent ransomware incidents, including at German university hospitals, demonstrate the consequences that compromised access can have for healthcare: from massive restrictions on hospital operations to emergency detour. At the same time, it is clear that hospitals with clearly defined access rules, zero-trust approaches and a consistent review of user rights can detect attacks earlier and limit them more effectively. This makes it clear that IAM in the healthcare sector goes far beyond a mere formal requirement and contributes directly to maintaining the ability to provide care.

Modern IAM solutions address these challenges through automated logging, end-to-end policy enforcement and real-time monitoring, especially for third-party access by external service providers. Detailed reporting functions and historical logs create transparency for audits and internal controls. The documentation, which is stored for years, makes it possible to trace who accessed which data and when at any time.

One of the biggest challenges in the healthcare sector is staff turnover: around one in six hospital employees change jobs within a year, while the rate in nursing homes is as high as 94%. Manual processes in authorization management are not only time-consuming, but also prone to errors. Accounts of employees who have left remain active, new colleagues wait too long for their access, and the IT department is bogged down in repetitive tasks.

Automated lifecycle management ensures that the correct authorizations are assigned when new users are hired and that all access is reliably blocked when users leave. This automation also protects against security gaps caused by orphaned accounts and significantly reduces the workload of the IT department.

Modern hospitals rely on a variety of different systems: hospital information systems (HIS), electronic patient records (ePA), PACS for imaging procedures and hybrid infrastructures with on-premises servers and cloud applications. A powerful IAM tool must integrate seamlessly into this evolved landscape and reduce access risks across the entire IT infrastructure.

A self-service function that enables hospital staff to reset passwords independently is particularly important. This works around the clock without having to call the IT hotline. Especially in emergency situations or during the night shift, this self-service can be crucial.