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Save the Date! The Fifth Annual HTS Security Summit and Expo will take place on 7/23/26.

Join us for the HTS Security Summit and Expo, where you'll connect with top experts and discover cutting-edge Security solutions. Spend a day at our headquarters, engaging in presentations and insightful discussions tailored for your organization. Seize this opportunity to elevate your security strategy! We can't wait to see you there.

Event Speakers

The real-life inspiration behind the 2013 film Identity Thief

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John Sileo

PRESIDENT & CEO | THE SILEO GROUP | HALL OF FAME SPEAKER

John Sileo lost everything—his multi–million–dollar business, life savings, and two years of young fatherhood—to cybercriminals who stole his identity and used it to commit a series of felonies. Wrongly implicated, in financial ruin, and facing jail time, John rose from the digital rubble with a mission: to turn his deeply personal loss into a powerful force for good.

Today, he’s a Hall of Fame keynote speaker, award–winning author, and trusted cybersecurity expert to organizations like the Pentagon, Amazon, and Schwab. John has appeared on 60 Minutes, Anderson Cooper and in the WSJ to share his message of security and resilience. One of his true–life stories even inspired a Hollywood blockbuster film.

John is the CEO of The Sileo Group, a frequent board advisor, and a Harvard honors graduate. But his accomplishments have always taken a back seat to the time he spends with the family and friends who helped him turn life’s lemons into something far sweeter and more fulfilling.

CSO/CTO | Troy University

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Greg Price

Greg Price is the Chief Technology and Security Officer and Vice Chancellor for Information Technology at Troy University, where he leads enterprise technology, cybersecurity, infrastructure, governance, and digital transformation initiatives across the university system. With more than 30 years of experience in information technology and cybersecurity, including nearly three decades in higher education leadership, he has overseen major initiatives involving cloud services, identity management, cybersecurity operations, compliance, disaster recovery, and large-scale enterprise systems.

Price holds multiple industry certifications, technology patents, and has authored several books and hundreds of articles related to cybersecurity, digital forensics, and emerging technologies. He has spoken at conferences throughout the United States on topics including cyber defense, cybercrime investigations, AI risk, governance, and critical infrastructure protection. His work in cybersecurity and child protection initiatives has been recognized nationally, including honors from industry organizations, federal agencies, and technology groups.

In addition to his university leadership role, Price has served on numerous advisory boards and task forces related to cybersecurity, education, law enforcement, and technology strategy. He is widely known for his practical, operations-focused approach to cybersecurity and his emphasis on resilience, governance, and security fundamentals in increasingly complex digital environments.

PRESENTING ON: The Myth of the Silver Bullet: Why Cybersecurity Fundamentals Still Win in the Age of AI

AI is rapidly accelerating vulnerability discovery and reshaping the cybersecurity landscape, but the fundamentals of effective defense remain largely unchanged. This session examines the growing hype surrounding AI-driven offensive capabilities, including tools like “Mythos,” and explains why organizations continue to succeed or fail based on operational discipline, visibility, asset management, identity security, segmentation, and timely remediation. Attendees will gain practical insight into separating AI fear from operational reality and learn why strong cybersecurity fundamentals remain the most effective defense strategy in the age of AI.

University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC)

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Benson Hill

Benson Hill is the Chief Information Security Officer at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, one of the state's most complex healthcare and academic institutions. With a background that spans clinical nursing, health law, data protection and information security, he sits at an intersection few professionals occupy — and one that proved critical when UMMC faced a significant ransomware incident earlier this year.
 
As CISO, Benson directed the security response from containment through recovery, working alongside IT, outside legal counsel, and federal law enforcement while simultaneously managing regulatory exposure across HIPAA, state law, and institutional policy. He also holds an academic appointment in UMMC's School of Medicine, where he teaches medical and law students on health law and privacy — meaning he spends as much time thinking about how organizations build security culture as he does responding to threats.
 
As a licensed attorney admitted in Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas, with a background in computer science and critical care nursing, Benson brings a perspective shaped equally by operational reality and legal policy.
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Patrick Stack

Patrick Stack serves as Chief Technology Officer at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, where he leads the enterprise technology organization supporting Mississippi's only academic medical center and Level I trauma center. His career has spanned more than three decades across healthcare, enterprise technology, and cloud computing, giving him experience building and operating the large-scale systems that modern healthcare depends on.

That experience was put to the test when UMMC faced a significant cybersecurity incident earlier this year. As CTO, Patrick led the restoration of the technology environment, directing infrastructure recovery, system prioritization, and operational coordination to bring clinical, research, and administrative systems back online while helping strengthen the organization's long-term resilience.

Prior to joining UMMC, Patrick held technology leadership roles at Meta Reality Labs, CommonSpirit Health, and Microsoft. His perspective is shaped by years of leading enterprise transformation initiatives, modernizing critical infrastructure, and helping organizations balance innovation, operational reliability, and cybersecurity in environments where technology failures directly affect patient care.

PRESENTING ON: Firsthand Experience: Insight on Cyber Threats, Prevention, and Recovery

The University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) experienced a significant ransomware incident earlier this year. UMMC cut their expected downtime in half, despite having the most expansive healthcare network in Mississippi. For this session, UMMC CISO, Benson Hill, and CTO, Patrick Stack, will host a presentation on this cybersecurity event along with the steps that they have taken to recover and continuously strengthen their facility since then. We are looking forward to hearing their valuable firsthand insight on the current state of cyber threats, prevention, and recovery.

Event Sponsors

Howard Technology Solutions
Arctic Wolf
Armis
Assured Data Protection
Axis Communications
Barracuda
Bitdefender
Brivo
Climb
CrowdStrike
Egnyte
ESET
Eversafe Solutions
Fortinet
Freshworks
HPE
InfoSight
i-Pro
Jamf
Kaseya
KnowBe4
Mimecast
N-Able
Nitro
Paessler
Progress
Radware
Ruckus Commscope
Sonicwall
Sophos
Synology
Veeam
Vipre
Wasabi
Xonar

Book hotel rooms with group rates for your stay during the
Fifth Annual HTS Security Summit and Expo

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Residence Inn by Marriott Hattiesburg

Situated in the heart of Hattiesburg, our Hattiesburg, MS hotel is convenient to the University of Southern Mississippi, Camp Shelby, Forrest General Hospital & downtown, including the Hattiesburg Zoo, military history museums, and art galleries.

115.00 USD per night
Shuttle Transport to Event: Available
Last Day to Book : Sunday, July 12, 2026

Book Now
Courtyard by Marriott Hattiesburg image

Courtyard by Marriott Hattiesburg

Convenient to two major highways, the Hattiesburg-Laurel International Airport, and popular entertainment, and just 0.4 miles walking distance to USM, our hotel in Hattiesburg, MS strikes the perfect balance of business and pleasure.

115.00 USD per night
Shuttle Transport to Event: Available
Last Day to Book : Sunday, July 12, 2026

Book Now
Hilton Garden Inn Hattiesburg image

Hilton Garden Inn Hattiesburg

Just off I-59, we’re two miles from the University of Southern Mississippi and Turtle Creek Mall. Visit Hattiesburg Zoo and Lake Terrace Convention Center, just three miles away. The Mississippi Armed Forces Museum is only 20 minutes from our door. Enjoy dining in our restaurant, or grab a snack from our 24-hour Pavilion Pantry. Shuttle transport to the event is not available from this location. 

119.00 USD Per Night
Shuttle Transport to Event: Not Available

Book Now

Event Information: Location & Agenda

Location

Event Location: HTS Headquarters
36 Howard Drive Ellisville, MS 39437
Event Date: July 23, 2026
Event Time: 9:00am - 4:30pm CDT
Event Contact: events@howard.com
Registration Fee: There is no fee to register to attend

Agenda

9:00 AM (1st Floor Lobby) Customer Registration

9:00-10:45 AM (1st Floor) Visit with Exhibitors

9:30-10:30 AM (5th Floor) Optional Session: Special guest, Dr. Greg Price, Cyber Security Expert, Author and Vice Chancellor Information Technology, Troy University

10:45 AM (5th Floor) Move to 5th floor

11:00-11:30 AM (5th Floor) Welcome/Howard Overview Meet the Howard Cyber and Physical Security Expert Team

11:30 AM (5th Floor) Lunch Begins

12:00 PM (5th Floor) Keynote Address With John Sileo

1:00-1:30 PM (5th Floor) Partner Introductions & Book Signings by John Sileo

1:30-4:00 PM (1st Floor) Visit with Exhibitors

1:45-2:45 PM (5th Floor) Optional Session: Featured speakers Patrick Stack & Benson
Hill from University of MS Medical Center

3:15 PM (1st Floor) Door Prizes

4:00 PM (1st Floor) Security Summit + Expo Conclusion

Exhibitor Registration

We are thrilled to invite you to our 5th annual HTS Security Summit, which will be July 23rd this year. Please Register Here