Redefining Cybersecurity in Healthcare: Q&A with CISO Mike Green, Part 2

A. Rapid Recovery is Availity’s advanced disaster recovery framework designed to restore critical systems within five days following a catastrophic incident, such as a ransomware attack. We leveraged military-grade and financial-sector-tested technology to ensure speed, security, and resilience unmatched in healthcare and unlike traditional Disaster Recovery (DR) methods, which can take months, Rapid Recovery ensures that data and configuration systems are restored swiftly and securely. The recovery environment is independently certified, providing confidence that operations can resume without compromise.

A. Availity takes a multi-layered, proactive approach to cybersecurity, implementing various sophisticated hurdles that prevent bad actors from accessing sensitive data. Traditional recovery models are reactive; Availity goes further to stop attacks before they happen and recover faster than industry norms.

It’s the quickness to full recovery, the layers of security, and the comprehensiveness of the whole framework. Our recovery time really sets us apart. We stand behind a 5-Day Recovery Objective (RTO). We recently conducted a failover test and were back online within 18 hours. This far surpasses industry standards. Rapid Recovery also provides independent certification and real-world validation – this is true recovery readiness if the unforeseeable occurs. With all of this, we are setting new benchmarks and redefining recovery standards.

A. Sometimes AI gets a bad rep. Sure, AI can be used by bad actors in nefarious ways – that is something we are constantly aware of. But AI also brings the benefit of helping us dig into user data to improve the framework.

A. Cyberattacks, particularly ransomware, are increasingly sophisticated and devastating. When an organization’s protection is left unchecked, it’s at risk of exposing private data and losing potentially hundreds of billions of dollars.

A. We refuse to accept outdated security models and we’re aiming to redefine what’s standard in the healthcare industry. Simply “checking the box” on compliance is no longer an option.

A. Organizations tend to be reactive. You don’t want to wait for the next attack to expose vulnerabilities. Rapid Recovery ensures preparedness even in worst-case scenarios.  For example, many companies only perform breach assessments after an incident or once annually – or never – but Availity conducts them quarterly. Instead of reacting to threats after they happen, we build systems designed to prevent and recover faster than any other provider.

A. Disruptions are stressful and are cause for concern, rightfully so. Rapid Recovery doesn’t just restore data—it restores full operational capabilities, including networks, applications, and connectivity. We have put in the work to stand behind this framework, and we are actively communicating to instill the confidence and explain that this is the real deal. In many experiences, breaches are something that takes months if, if not longer, to recover from. Availity has dwindled that down to days, possibly hours. With this timeline, we help take away the client’s concerns about reconnection time so they can focus on getting back to business and patient care.