The Municipal Association of SC and its technology partner, VC3, will offer Tech Talks throughout the 2026 Annual Meeting — 15-minute sessions covering municipal technology issues. Here are the sessions to be covered.
Find the full meeting agenda online and on the Municipal Association of SC app, available through the App Store or Google Play.
Where Do I Begin? Building a Strong Data Backup Strategy, Step by Step
In this practical, no‑jargon session, learn about the most common backup myths and risks facing municipalities, how to identify critical data, evaluate current backups and understand disaster recovery timelines.
Cybersecurity Readiness and Dark Web Exposure
See how stolen credentials, often sold on the dark web, are a leading cause of ransomware and service disruptions in local government. The session will explain what the dark web is, how usernames and passwords end up there, and why many breaches go undetected.
A Guide to Municipal IT Budget Planning
Detailed IT budgets help uncover inefficiencies, save money and execute goals. Learn about the components of an IT budget, essential cybersecurity and disaster recovery line items, budgeting to replace end-of-life hardware, and AI budgeting questions.
CJIS 101: What Every Municipality Should Know
Criminal justice data is among the most sensitive assets that municipalities handle, and mishandling it can lead to severe penalties and can damage trust and operations. CJIS sets rules for how this information must be stored, accessed and shared. This presentation will outline the areas where officials might be responsible for non-technical work — and why managed IT services or a skilled IT resource can only get a city about 20% to 30% of the way toward CJIS compliance.
ADA Website Compliance: What You Need to Know (and What to Do Next)
Achieving website compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act can feel complex. This session will provide a roadmap for identifying accessibility gaps and implementing improvements. Learn how accessibility barriers like poor color contrast, missing alt text, and lack of keyboard navigation impact users, along with how WCAG 2.1 standards guide compliance efforts.
The End of Windows Server 2016 Support: What’s Happening, Why It’s Important and What to Do Next
Windows Server 2016 will reach end of life on January 12, 2027. Learn what “end of life” means, the business, security and compliance risks of staying on an unsupported server, upgrade options, and how to start planning now to avoid costly decisions later.
From Hassle to Habit: What Municipal Leaders Miss About Cybersecurity
Municipalities may think they’re all set with cybersecurity when they have multi-factor authentication, scheduled backups and insurance. Unfortunately, threats have evolved. This session will cover cybersecurity must-haves and how to implement protections without overwhelming staffers and budgets.
The Workhorse in the Room: How Robotic Process Automation Is Powering Municipal Government
Robotic process automation isn't artificial intelligence. RPA follows rules, doesn’t learn, infer or make judgment calls. It moves data between systems, completes forms, generates reports, and processes transactions with speed and consistency that humans can't match at volume. Learn why AI and RPA are more complementary than competitive.
A Managed IT Services Foundation for Cities and Towns
Smaller municipalities often feel left behind with information technology. With constrained budgets, they can struggle to maintain computers, internet connectivity, Wi-Fi and email. This session will discuss the benefits of a technology partnership with an IT vendor.
AI at Work in Local Government: What Assistants and Agents Are Doing for Municipalities Today
The conversation around AI in the public sector has been loud, but the real story is happening quietly inside permitting offices, public works departments and finance teams. AI assistants are answering resident questions, drafting communications and summarizing long documents. Learn about AI use cases for municipalities, what's working and where friction appears.