Appalachia Advance - 5th Annual CyberTech Conference
About this Event
Appalachia Technologies is excited to present Appalachia Advance 2026, a full-day CyberTech Conference focused on Governance, Risk, Compliance (GRC), AI Security, and Cybersecurity.
Our 5th annual in-person event brings together nationally-recognized experts and Appalachia's highly-certified staff to deliver cutting-edge insights on the most pressing challenges facing organizations today.
This year's program features:
- Keynote address from a leading cybersecurity authority
- General sessions covering strategic GRC, AI governance, and cybersecurity topics for all attendees
- Technical breakout sessions for IT practitioners, security professionals, and technical leaders
- Leadership/Executive breakout sessions for business owners, C-suite executives, and compliance leaders
- Interactive workshops and real-world case studies
- Networking opportunities throughout the day
The event runs from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM at the Hershey Lodge in Hershey, PA, and includes breakfast, lunch, and a networking happy hour.
Agenda
🕑: 08:00 AM
Breakfast & Registration
🕑: 08:45 AM - 09:00 AM
Welcome
🕑: 09:00 AM - 09:45 AM
General: CMMC Case Study Panel
🕑: 09:50 AM - 10:30 AM
General: From Shadow AI to System Control: Governing AI in Practice
Host: Diane R. Jones
Info: Organizations face AI activity they may not fully see, authorize, constrain, or evidence. Shadow AI isn't just unauthorized tools. It's AI capability spreading faster than governance can control it, now embedded in approved platforms and workflow automation. Learn how to move from discovery (where is AI?) to admissibility (should this action proceed?) using Diane's practical verification framework.
🕑: 10:30 AM - 10:50 AM
Break
🕑: 10:50 AM - 11:30 AM
Breakout (Technical): The Password is Dead: Identity-First Security
Host: Brian Bronstein
Info: Passwords remain the weakest link in cybersecurity. This session demonstrates why identity-first security through passwordless authentication, multi-factor authentication, and privileged access management creates a stronger security foundation. Includes live demo of passkey authentication.
🕑: 10:50 AM - 11:30 AM
Breakout (Leadership): AI ROI Reality Check + Workforce
Host: Chris Swecker
Info: A leadership conversation exploring both the economic case and cultural requirements for successful AI adoption.
🕑: 11:30 AM - 12:15 PM
Lunch
🕑: 12:25 PM - 01:10 PM
Keynote: Your Next Employee Doesn't Have a Pulse: Zero Trust as the...
Host: Dr. Chase Cunningham
Info: ...Architecture for Secure AI Adoption
Every company is hiring right now - most just don't know it. AI agents are entering with credentials and sensitive access, deployed the way no human employee ever would be: no manager, background check, offboarding, or activity log. The result is an explosion of non-human identities that traditional security models were never built to govern.
Dr. Chase Cunningham argues zero trust is the architectural framework that makes AI adoption survivable—not a product category. Drawing on MGM, Change Healthcare, and the $25M Arup deepfake, he shows valid credentials masking abnormal behavior is the core failure mode AI multiplies at machine speed, and why controls must sit outside the model.
Every principle comes in two builds: enterprise-grade for SOC/IAM teams, and a three-control version for mid-market teams without them. Attendees leave with one scalable roadmap - an enterprise maturity path and a 90-day starter plan.
🕑: 01:10 PM - 01:40 PM
General: SOC 2 Deep Dive: Building Customer Trust
Host: Josh Bantz
Info: Independent SOC 2 audit explained: what the five Trust Services Criteria prove (and don't prove), Type I vs Type II decision-making, why organizations pursue certification, and how SOC 2 impacts customer relationships and competitive positioning. Panel featuring audit firm and service provider perspectives, with real RFP examples.
🕑: 01:45 PM - 02:20 PM
Breakout (Technical): Detecting & Responding to AI-Powered Attacks
Host: Jimmy Lloyd
Info: Prevention isn't enough. This session teaches detection and response for AI-powered attacks and anomalous AI system behavior. Covers UEBA (User and Entity Behavior Analytics), SOC operations, behavioral detection, incident response processes, and the maturity model for detection/response capabilities.
🕑: 01:45 PM - 02:20 PM
Breakout (Leadership): Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM)
Host: Jimmy Armour
Info: Vendor and supply chain risk management framework balancing traditional TPRM fundamentals with AI-era considerations. Covers vendor governance policies, contract requirements, continuous monitoring, and how AI changes third-party risk (data usage rights, model transparency, subprocessor AI dependencies).
🕑: 02:20 PM - 02:40 PM
Break
🕑: 02:40 PM - 03:20 PM
General: GRC as a Team Sport: Breaking Down Organizational Silos
Host: Diane R. Jones
Info: GRC (Governance, Risk, Compliance) is everyone's responsibility, not just "the security team's problem." This panel shows how IT, Finance, HR, Legal, Operations, and Leadership each play a role in GRC. Focuses on breaking down organizational silos and building cross-functional collaboration.
🕑: 03:25 PM - 03:55 PM
Breakout (Technical): The Top 10 Security Controls That Matter Across Every Au
Host: Lynnanne Bocchi
🕑: 03:25 PM - 03:55 PM
Breakout (Leadership): Translating Cyber Risk into CFO Language
Host: Derek Dowhower
Info: Security risks feel abstract until you translate them into dollars, probabilities, and business impact. This conversation teaches leadership how to quantify cybersecurity risk so they can make informed decisions about what to fund, what to defer, and what risk to explicitly accept. Learn how to calculate expected annual loss, measure technical debt interest rates, quantify Shadow AI risk, and build a risk acceptance framework. Move from "IT says we need this" to "Here's the expected loss if we don't, here's the cost to fix it, so what's the business decision?"
🕑: 04:00 PM - 04:30 PM
General: AI Conference Summary + Quick Wins
🕑: 04:30 PM - 06:00 PM
Happy Hour + Networking
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 40.00 to USD 50.00
