Background
Grace Inspired Living is a faith-based nonprofit organization committed to providing high-quality, compassionate senior living communities in Pennsylvania. Grace Inspired Living oversees a network of affiliated communities, including continuing care retirement communities, assisted living, and skilled nursing facilities. Like many mission-driven organizations, Grace Inspired Living recognized the need to modernize its IT and security infrastructure to support operations, protect resident data, and comply with healthcare and privacy regulations.
Challenges
Grace Inspired Living faced several key challenges:
• Outdated IT Infrastructure: Legacy servers, unsupported hardware, and limited wireless coverage created reliability, performance, and security risks across facilities.
• No Security Management Program: With no dedicated security staff or formal cybersecurity governance, Grace Inspired Living lacked visibility into threats and compliance gaps.
• Basic IT Knowledge and Limited Resources: The internal team had general IT familiarity but limited experience in advanced security operations or cloud infrastructure, increasing reliance on external expertise
Engagement with Simulint
Alpine Cyber, a Simulint company, began its engagement with Grace Inspired Living in 2018. Over the course of six years, Alpine Cyber provided comprehensive modernization and security services, delivered in stages to align with the client’s budget and operational readiness. Recently Grace adopted Simulint’s Bluesphere ShieldTM services, our industry leading MDR solution delivering 24/7 support and real-time visibility though the Bluesphere mobile application
Key Services Provided:
• IT Modernization
o Transitioned from legacy systems to modern cloud-based infrastructure.
o Replaced on-premises servers with secure cloud workloads for scalability and efficiency.
o Upgraded wireless infrastructure to support mobility and resident care operations.
o Migrated IT environment to AWS; implementing M365 for identity access management.
• Bluesphere ShieldTM Implementation
o Implemented 24/7 Managed Detection and Response (MDR), continuous vulnerability scanning and
remediation, tracking threat monitoring and incident response.
o Deployed advanced email security to prevent phishing and malware delivery.
o Rolled out phishing simulations and user security awareness training.
o Deployed managed patching across systems to reduce exploit risk.
o Introduced user-based password management tools to enforce strong authentication practices.
• Penetration Testing
o Identified vulnerabilities via external web application and perimeter penetration testing.
o Performed internal network penetration testing to identify lateral movement risks.
• Elevated IT Support
Implementation Timeline
• 2018–2019 – Kickoff & Cloud Transformation
Initial assessment and strategy development led to the replacement of on-premises servers with scalable cloud
workloads. Merged two organizations networks into a single network.
• 2020 – Network Modernization
Upgraded wireless infrastructure across facilities and modernized aging server hardware.
• 2022 – Full-Stack Managed Security Deployment
Introduced MDR, vulnerability management, phishing training, patching, and password management tools.
• 2023 – Website Migration to AWS
Migrated public-facing web assets to Amazon Web Services for improved performance and security.
• 2024 – Tier 3 IT Support
Implemented ongoing elevated support services to handle complex infrastructure issues and strategic IT
guidance.
• 2025 – Bluesphere ShieldTM Adoption
Adoption of Bluesphere ShieldTM Solution Set
Results
• Enhanced Security Posture
The deployment of layered security controls and ongoing user training significantly reduced technical
vulnerabilities and the risk of user-driven threats.
• Scalable IT Support
Access to level 3 support enabled Grace Inspired Living to handle sophisticated IT challenges without building
out a large internal team.
• Improved Operational Resilience
The shift to cloud infrastructure, regular patching, and MDR reduced downtime and positioned Grace Inspired
Living to scale securely and cost-effectively.
Conclusion
By progressively implementing cloud infrastructure and layered security services, Grace Inspired Living has built a resilient and secure IT environment capable of supporting its mission and protecting sensitive resident data. The organization remains a client of Simulint, relying on its team for continued security operations and strategic technology guidance.
