Identity Controls for HIPAA

HIPAA's Security Rule requires safeguards for electronic protected health information (ePHI), and its access-related standards are about identity: who can reach ePHI, how they are authenticated, and how access is controlled in fast-moving clinical settings.

What HIPAA expects of identity

The Security Rule's technical safeguards include:

• Access control: unique user identification, emergency access procedure, automatic logoff, and encryption.
• Person or entity authentication: verify that a user is who they claim to be.
• Audit controls: record and examine access to systems with ePHI.

What good looks like

• Unique identities for every clinician and staff member, no shared logins, with MFA for remote and privileged access.
• Fast, secure authentication suited to clinical workflows, where badge tap-and-go and passwordless reduce friction on shared workstations. This is why healthcare-specific access vendors exist.
• Role-based access to ePHI with periodic access reviews, and prompt deprovisioning of leavers.
• Emergency (break-glass) access that is controlled, logged, and reviewed.

Common pitfalls

• Shared workstation logins that break unique-user attribution.
• Standing broad access to ePHI without review, a common audit finding.
• Break-glass access that is neither logged nor reviewed after use.

Related

Healthcare vertical guide, IAM audit preparation. Vendors: IGA, MFA.