After the breach of Mount Desert Island (MDI) Hospital in May of 2023, Will Houston knew things had to change without increasing the budget.

To improve MDI’s security posture, Will and his team launched a sequence of successful cybersecurity programs on a budget, and then turned each success into budget support for the next project. Now he joins us to share his story.

Will joins Preston Duren, VP of Threat Operations Services at Fortified, to share how MDI:

  • Matured from a reactive to proactive SOC program
  • Manages costs by more effectively leveraging their existing tools and processes
  • Leverages their outcomes to generate support for additional projects

About the presenters

Will Houston
HIPAA Risk Officer, Network Security Manager
Mount Desert Island Hospital

Will is a seasoned HIPAA Risk Officer and Network Security Manager with over 20 years of invaluable experience in the healthcare industry, specializing in Risk Management and Cyber Security. His HCISPP certification underscores his expertise in Healthcare Information Security and Privacy. Will seamlessly transitioned from systems administration to cybersecurity, dedicating the past 8 years to his roles as a HIPAA Risk Officer and Network Security Manager. He pioneered the development of a comprehensive cybersecurity program, which he has consistently matured annually. Additionally, he successfully led the sunset process of 9 EMRs, streamlining operations and ensuring secure transitions for healthcare data. As an active member of InfraGard, Will collaborates with peers to fortify national cybersecurity, demonstrating his commitment to the highest standards of security in healthcare.

Preston Duren
VP, Threat Defense Services
Fortified Health Security

Preston brings 16 years of IT/security expertise to his role as VP of Threat Defense Services at Fortified. His experience spans threat and vulnerability management, security engineering, security program development, digital forensics, and SOC. Previous roles include engineering/architecture at Community Health Systems & Information Security Officer at RCCH Health.