Appalachia Advance - 5th Annual CyberTech Conference

A full-day in-person event packed with practical information from industry thought-leaders, including general and breakout sessions.
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
🕑: 10:30 AM - 10:50 AM
Break
🕑: 10:50 AM - 11:30 AM
Breakout (Technical): The Password is Dead: Identity-First Security
🕑: 10:50 AM - 11:30 AM
Breakout (Leadership): AI ROI Reality Check + Workforce Panel
🕑: 11:30 AM - 12:15 PM
Lunch
🕑: 12:15 PM - 01:00 PM
Keynote: Zero Trust Architecture for AI Security
🕑: 01:05 PM - 01:40 PM
General: SOC 2 & HITRUST: Choosing the Right Compliance Framework
🕑: 01:45 PM - 02:20 PM
Breakout (Technical): Detecting & Responding to AI-Powered Attacks
🕑: 01:45 PM - 02:20 PM
Breakout (Leadership): Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM)
🕑: 02:20 PM - 02:50 PM
Break
🕑: 02:50 PM - 03:25 PM
General: GRC as a Team Sport: Breaking Down Organizational Silos
🕑: 03:30 PM - 04:00 PM
Breakout (Technical): The Top 10 Security Controls That Matter Across Every Au
🕑: 03:30 PM - 04:00 PM
Breakout (Leadership): Risk Quantification + Leadership Buy-In
🕑: 04:00 PM - 04:30 PM
General: AI Conference Summary + Quick Wins
🕑: 04:30 PM - 06:00 PM
Happy Hour + Networking