From infusion pumps to AI-enabled imaging systems, the Internet of Things (IoT) is transforming how care is delivered — and every connected device is not just a tool, but an identity that authenticates, authorizes, and accesses data.
However, this connectivity also brings risk. Without proper identity and access management (IAM), every connected device can become an entry point for cyberattacks — threatening both compliance and patient safety. As healthcare’s digital footprint continues to grow, treating devices as managed identities is a security and operational necessity.
This blog post helps you understand the role of IoT in the healthcare ecosystem and shows how to put identity-based security into practice. You’ll learn how to map common clinical scenarios to IAM controls, manage privileged and vendor access, and follow a five-step playbook to start securing your connected medical devices today.
What is IoT?
The Internet of Things (IoT) describes a network of interconnected physical devices embedded with sensors, software, and connectivity capabilities. These devices can collect and share data, respond to changes in their environment, and even act autonomously — often without the need for human intervention. In short, IoT turns everyday devices into smart, connected systems.
IoT is already transforming industries worldwide. For example:
- Retail: Smart inventory tags automatically track stock levels, while intelligent shelves monitor product placement and customer interactions.
- Manufacturing: Advanced sensors continuously monitor machine health, predict maintenance needs, and optimize production efficiency.
- Energy & Utilities: Smart meters provide real-time consumption data, and sensors monitor power line integrity and grid performance.
- Security: Smart cameras, access control systems, and environmental sensors protect facilities and personnel.
- Healthcare: Connected medical devices, wearables, and monitoring systems create comprehensive patient care ecosystems.
In healthcare specifically, the proliferation of connected devices brings both unprecedented opportunities and urgent security challenges. Unlike in other industries, these devices are not just operational tools — they are embedded in the care delivery chain, directly influencing patient outcomes. Their deep integration into clinical workflows makes them invaluable assets, but also high-risk targets if they are not properly secured.
This raises a critical question: if connected medical devices are now central to care delivery, why are they still so often overlooked in identity and access management strategies?
Medical Device Management: Closing A Critical Security Blind Spot
In today’s healthcare environments, IoT takes the form of connected medical devices that quietly but constantly support treatment, monitoring, and recovery from the moment a patient enters the hospital until discharge.
This includes:
- Infusion pumps that deliver medications with precision timing
- Vital sign monitors that continuously track patient status
- Smart beds that adjust positioning and monitor patient movement
- Wearable devices that collect real-time health data
- Imaging equipment that processes and transmits diagnostic images
- Environmental controls that maintain optimal conditions for sensitive equipment
While these technologies are indispensable to modern medicine, they often live in a security blind spot. In many organizations, such devices are not fully integrated into identity and access management (IAM) strategies — even though their constant connectivity means they should be secured, governed, and monitored with the same rigor applied to human users.
Treating medical devices as identities helps close this gap. For example:
| IAM Domain | Medical Device Example | Security Concern |
| Privileged Access Management (PAM) | Firmware updates pushed remotely to infusion pumps | Ensure only verified accounts/services can execute privileged commands on devices |
| Access Management | Radiology workstation connecting to PACS server | Apply access policies to ensure devices communicate only with approved systems |
| Identity Governance and Administration (IGA) | Decommissioning outdated heart monitors | Ensure deprovisioning workflows include devices to prevent unused equipment from retaining network privileges |
IAM Mapping for Medical Devices
Epic SER Records: A Special Consideration
For healthcare organizations using Epic, identity management extends beyond people and devices. Epic’s Schedulable Epic Resources (SER) records — which can include rooms, devices, providers, and services — also function as identities within the system.
Managing these non-human identities is particularly challenging. A service like “Physical Therapy” or a specific treatment room carries its own permissions and data access patterns, just like a clinician’s account. Without proper governance, these resources can accumulate excessive privileges, creating security gaps or opportunities for misuse.
The solution is to apply the same governance standards used for human accounts: integrate SER records into existing identity management tools, enforce consistent policies, and embed best practices from the start. By doing so, healthcare organizations ensure that every identity in Epic is properly controlled.
Privileged Access Considerations for IoT Devices
Even when medical devices are included in IAM programs, they introduce unique privileged access challenges. Three areas stand out: loosely connected devices, vendor remote access, and machine identities.
Loosely Connected Devices
Many healthcare IoT devices operate with intermittent connectivity. They may cache credentials, operate offline for extended periods, and reconnect with elevated privileges. This creates unique privilege management challenges and opens possibilities for exploitation.
Vendor Remote Access
Medical device manufacturers often require remote access for:
- Software updates and patches
- Diagnostic troubleshooting
- Performance optimization
- Compliance reporting
While essential, these access points create privileged pathways into healthcare networks. They must be carefully controlled, continuously monitored, and audited. Organizations must implement just-in-time access principles and ensure vendor activities are logged and reviewed.
Machine Identities
Unlike human users, machine identities for IoT devices require:
- Certificate-based authentication rather than password-based systems
- Automated credential rotation to maintain security without operational disruption
- Hardware-backed security modules for credential storage
- Zero-trust verification for every device communication
Securing privileged access for IoT devices is only part of the challenge. To truly protect healthcare environments, organizations need a structured approach that embeds devices into the broader IAM framework.
Implementing IoT Device Identity Management
To secure healthcare IoT effectively, organizations must treat devices as identities, applying the same rigor used for clinicians, patients, and administrators. This shift in mindset transforms devices from passive network components into actively governed participants in the healthcare ecosystem.
Here are essential steps for managing IoT devices as identities:
- Discovery and Inventory: The first step is visibility. Deploy network scanning tools and integrate them with Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS) to detect every connected device across the healthcare network.
- Identity Assignment: Once identified, establish unique identities for each device using certificates, machine accounts, or device fingerprints that cannot be easily duplicated or spoofed.
- Attribute Tagging: Context matters. Each device identity should be enriched with comprehensive metadata to ensure proper classification and governance. This includes:
- Device type and model (e.g., ventilator, cardiac monitor, MRI machine)
- Department and physical location (e.g., ICU Room 204, Radiology Suite B)
- Assigned owner, primary technician, and backup contacts
- Support vendor and maintenance contract details
- Criticality level and patient impact classification
- Policy-Based Access Controls (PBAC): Once identities and attributes are established, apply policies that govern how devices interact. Effective PBAC strategies:
- Restrict device-to-device communication to approved pathways
- Block unauthorized firmware updates and configuration changes
- Generate alerts when devices exhibit abnormal behavior patterns
- Enforce network segmentation according to device risk profiles
- Lifecycle Governance: Security is not a one-time action but an ongoing process. Integrating devices into established governance processes ensures nothing is overlooked:
- Onboarding: Network registration, security baseline scanning, and policy assignment
- Maintenance: Continuous access logging, credential rotation, and compliance monitoring
- Offboarding: Secure disconnection, credential revocation, and asset disposal
The Path Forward
IoT in healthcare has moved far beyond operational convenience — it is now a fundamental security and compliance priority. Every connected device represents a potential gateway to sensitive data, critical systems, and ultimately, patient well-being.
By managing devices as identities, healthcare organizations gain the visibility, control, and trust needed to ensure that every digital interaction is secure and compliant. This approach not only reduces cyber risk but also protects patients, strengthens operational resilience, and supports regulatory requirements.
The integration of IoT device identity management into existing IAM frameworks is more than a technical upgrade — it is a patient safety imperative. As healthcare’s digital transformation accelerates, the healthcare leaders who succeed in securing their IoT ecosystems will be those that recognize devices as digital citizens requiring the same governance as human identities.
How iC Consult Can Help Secure Your Healthcare IoT
Securing IoT devices in healthcare isn’t just about technology — it requires the right strategy, expertise, and tools to protect every identity in your environment, whether human or machine. That’s where iC Consult comes in.
As the leading independent IAM consultancy, systems integrator, and managed services provider, we help healthcare organizations:
- Integrate IoT device governance into existing IAM frameworks — ensuring medical devices, Epic SER records, and other non-human identities are managed with the same rigor as clinician accounts.
- Implement Privileged Access Management (PAM), Identity Governance (IGA), and Zero Trust principles — closing gaps in device access control and preventing unauthorized changes.
- Design and deploy scalable IAM architectures — tailored to healthcare’s complex mix of legacy systems, cloud platforms, and connected devices.
- Provide ongoing managed services — including monitoring, access reviews, and compliance reporting to keep your IoT ecosystem secure 24/7.
With more than 850 identity experts worldwide, 25+ years of IAM experience, and proven expertise in healthcare security and compliance, we help you build a culture of secure, identity-driven care delivery.
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