Berlin The German health insurance companies have been forbidden to identify their insured persons via smartphone. The responsible Gematik company sent an order to the cash registers in the night from Monday to Tuesday, which prohibits them from using so-called video and robo-identification processes. The decision is available to the Handelsblatt. “The immediate execution will […] arranged,” it says.
According to Handelsblatt information, the background to the decision is that security problems with the said digital identification procedures have apparently been proven. IT security specialists are said to have demonstrated vulnerabilities through which the systems should be able to be tricked.
The health insurance company DAK-Gesundheit confirmed this on request: “Gematik explained to us that there were security deficiencies.” The services were switched off. The Gematik did not want to comment on the short term.
Gematik is majority owned by the Federal Ministry of Health and is responsible for digitization in the healthcare system. Video and Robo-Ident are procedures that the insured can use at almost all health insurers to confirm their identity so that they can identify themselves for services such as the electronic patient file or order a new insurance card.
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The security incident could have wide repercussions. The identification procedures mentioned are not only offered in the health sector. With the same apps, accounts can be opened or insurance policies taken out at many banks.
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