Registration and Morning Refreshments

Welcome

Teena Piccione, Secretary and Chief Information Officer, Department of Information Technology, State of North Carolina

Keynote – Spy vs. AI: Defending Against Artificial Intelligence's Threats to Your Life, Loved Ones and Livelihood

Have you heard of a deep fake? Would you or your family fall for one? Dive into the dynamic world of artificial intelligence and its intricate relationship with the insider threat landscape. As AI continues to reshape industries, it simultaneously introduces new dimensions of vulnerabilities within organizations that insiders can exploit. In this engaging and insightful keynote, we’ll explore the evolving threats of AI, from deepfakes to voice cloning, and how they can impact individuals, families, and businesses. With real-world examples and case studies, we'll break down the tactics malicious actors use and, more importantly, provide practical tips on how to protect yourself and your loved ones from these emerging dangers. By the end, you'll not only understand the risks but walk away empowered with actionable strategies to safeguard your digital lives in an increasingly AI-driven world.

Shawnee Delaney, Founder and CEO, Vaillance Group

Networking Break

Concurrent Sessions

The Evolution of Zero Trust

Zero Trust is no longer just a framework - it’s a mindset. As AI reshapes the cybersecurity landscape, Zero Trust is evolving into a smarter, more adaptive model that continuously verifies identities, detects anomalies in real time, and strengthens resilience. This session will unpack how AI-driven Zero Trust is transforming security strategies and what leaders need to do to stay ahead.

Smart Learning: Where Human Potential Meets AI

The classroom of tomorrow won’t be defined by humans or machines alone, but by how they work together. From personalized tutoring powered by AI to real-time feedback that adapts to each learner, artificial intelligence is transforming how we teach, train, and grow talent. Yet the human element - creativity, empathy and critical thinking remain essential. This session explores what the future of learning looks like when humans and AI collaborate, highlighting opportunities for more inclusive, adaptive, and impactful education across the public sector.

Defending Critical Infrastructure: Securing the Systems That Keep Us Running

From power grids and water systems to transportation networks and communications, critical infrastructure forms the backbone of our daily lives. Yet these essential services are increasingly under attack - targeted by nation-states, cybercriminals, and other malicious actors seeking disruption, ransom, or leverage. With the rise of AI-driven threats and the growing interconnection of operational technology and IT systems, the stakes have never been higher.

Governing AI: Policies, Guardrails, and Accountability in a Rapidly Evolving Landscape

As artificial intelligence continues to evolve at a rapid pace, organizations must establish strong governance frameworks to ensure responsible and effective deployment. Building on the morning’s foundational data discussion, this session will explore how different organizations are staying ahead of AI advancements by creating guardrails that promote transparency, accountability, and compliance. Learn how organizations are defining roles, implementing governance training, and developing policies that balance innovation with risk management.

Securing the Cloud

With more workloads and sensitive data moving to the cloud, agencies face new challenges in keeping systems safe and resilient. This session explores proven practices for cloud security, from strong identity and access controls to encryption, monitoring, and incident response. We’ll discuss how to defend against evolving threats, strengthen compliance, and maintain trust while operating in hybrid and multi-cloud environments. Attendees will leave with actionable strategies to protect their cloud investments and ensure mission continuity.

Lunch

General Session

General Session

Networking Break

Concurrent Sessions

Coexisting with Technology: Optimizing the Workforce for a New Era

Emerging technologies are transforming the public sector workforce by streamlining operations, enhancing decision-making, and redefining job roles. As government agencies adopt new tools and automation, the challenge lies in balancing technological innovation with workforce optimization. How can IT leaders ensure a smooth transition, empower employees with new skills, and foster effective collaboration? This session will delve into strategies for seamlessly integrating emerging technologies into government operations while cultivating a culture that is resilient.

The Future of Identity Access Management

Identity and Access Management (IAM) is no longer just about passwords and permissions—it’s becoming the frontline of cybersecurity in an AI-driven world. As threat actors harness AI to scale their attacks, agencies are responding with smarter, adaptive IAM strategies that leverage AI for continuous authentication, real-time risk detection, and seamless user experience. This session explores how the convergence of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence is reshaping IAM.

Ransomware in the Age of AI

Ransomware has evolved from crude lockouts to highly targeted, business-crippling attacks - and now artificial intelligence is raising the stakes. As threat actors adopt AI to automate reconnaissance, craft convincing phishing lures, and accelerate encryption tactics, public sector organizations face a new level of risk. At the same time, defenders are leveraging AI for real-time threat detection, predictive analytics, and faster incident response. This session explores how ransomware is changing in the AI era, what this means for government cybersecurity strategies, and how agencies can harness AI’s power to stay one step ahead.

The Privacy Imperative: Protecting Data and Building Trust

In an era of increasing digital transformation, public sector organizations must navigate the complex landscape of privacy while maintaining transparency, ensuring compliance, and fostering public trust. With evolving regulations, growing cybersecurity threats, and the expanding use of AI and data-driven decision-making, safeguarding sensitive information is more critical than ever. This session will explore key privacy challenges in government, including data protection strategies, compliance with federal and state regulations and best practices for creating a “privacy-first” culture.

Networking Break

General Session

Networking Reception

Network with your colleagues and discuss technology solutions with the event exhibitors.

End of Day One

Registration and Morning Refreshments

Welcome

Keynote

General Session

Networking Break

Concurrent Sessions

Asset Management in the Modern Era: Visibility, Value, and Vigilance

You can’t secure or optimize what you can’t see. From laptops and servers to cloud resources, IoT devices, and shadow IT, the modern public-sector environment is overflowing with assets that demand oversight. Effective asset management is no longer just an IT housekeeping task - it’s a critical foundation for cybersecurity, compliance, cost control, and service delivery. This session explores how agencies can modernize their asset management practices to gain full visibility, track lifecycle value, and reduce risk.

Unlocking the Power of Agentic AI in Government

Artificial intelligence is evolving from a supportive tool into an active collaborator. Agentic AI—systems capable of reasoning, planning, and taking initiative within defined boundaries—offers governments a chance to reimagine how work gets done. From automating routine tasks and coordinating workflows to surfacing insights for faster decision-making, agentic AI can help agencies boost efficiency, improve constituent services, and free up staff to focus on high-value priorities. This session will explore how public-sector organizations can harness agentic AI responsibly, highlight early use cases, and outline strategies for integrating these systems while maintaining transparency, security, and trust.

AI for Budget Analysts: Smarter Forecasting, Safer Data

As AI becomes more embedded in public sector operations, Budget Analysts have a unique opportunity to harness its power for smarter forecasting, anomaly detection, and resource optimization - while also navigating the risks of data exposure and algorithmic bias. This session will explore practical, real-world applications of AI tools that can enhance budget planning and financial oversight. Attendees will walk away with a clearer understanding of how to responsibly integrate AI into their workflows, and how to evaluate tools for transparency, security, and ethical use.

The People Problem + Social Engineering

Social engineering in 2025 is turbocharged by AI-powered deception techniques that exploit human psychology with unprecedented precision. This session uncovers how attackers use advanced AI tools to craft personalized, convincing attacks - and how understanding human behavior can turn the tide in your defense. Through real-world examples and innovative strategies, attendees will learn how to detect, disrupt, and defend against next-generation social engineering threat.

Lunch

General Session

General Session

Closing Refreshments

End of Conference

Conference times, agenda, and speakers are subject to change.