VC3

We're in for a busy few days spending time with municipal leaders across the US and Canada!

🤝 Join Gord at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities 2026 Annual Conference. With this year’s theme, Building a future together, we’re ready to support the local solutions shaping Canada’s future.

💯 Jared will be celebrating 100 years of excellence at the Texas City Management Association Annual Conference starting today. Find him between sessions to chat about the what the next 100 years looks like.

👓 Come see Taher at the AMCTO Annual Conference and stop by the VC3 booth to be entered to win a pair of Meta AI glasses!

⚡ Travis will be stepping in at the Palmetto Power Cities Annual Meeting, and is excited to get to know the leaders who make up and support South Carolina’s municipal electric utilities.

🤖 Stop by booth 110 at the Florida Association of City Clerks Summer Conference & Academy to meet Adam and learn how Municipal AI Assistants help your staff work more efficiently, preserve institutional knowledge, and respond more quickly to residents.

Quick question: When did you last audit who has access to what in your organization?

If the answer is "not recently" — or "I'm not sure" — you're not alone. And you're also not as protected as you think.

Tomorrow we're hosting a free 30-minute briefing for business leaders: "Zero Trust Security: What It Actually Is — And What It Means for Your Business"

📅 June 2 | ⏰ 2pm EST; 11am PST | 💻 Free

We'll cover the 5 most practical steps toward Zero Trust — starting with the one that stops most data breaches — and explain why this isn't just an IT conversation anymore.

If your clients trust you with sensitive information, this session is for you.

🔗 Last chance to register: https://hubs.li/Q04jz1160

Can't make it live? Register anyway — we'll send you the recording.

Here's a few scenarios we see more often than you'd think:

A administrative assistant has access to the managing partner's billing data because no one ever restricted it. A contractor who finished a project two years ago still has a login to your systems. An employee who left six months ago? Their email account is still active.

None of these feel like crises. Until they are.

This is exactly what Zero Trust security is designed to prevent, and why we're hosting a free briefing for business leaders next Tuesday:

Zero Trust Security: What It Actually Is — And What It Means for Your Business
June 2 @ 2:00PM EST; 11:00AM PST | Free — 30 Minutes

We'll cover:

🔐 The 5 most accessible steps any organization can take right now
🔐 Why cyber insurers are asking harder questions at renewal
🔐 What regulators are expecting from businesses
🔐 How to stop being over-sold and start being actually protected

This is a plain-language session. No technical jargon. No sales pitch. Just the information you need to ask better questions and make smarter decisions.

→ GRAB YOUR SPOT — Registration Is Free: https://hubs.li/Q04hSRv60

🔐 Everyone's talking about Zero Trust security. But when we ask leaders what it actually means ... most aren't sure.

That's not a criticism. It's a marketing problem. "Zero Trust" gets slapped on products, proposals, and press releases constantly, often without meaning much at all.

We're cutting through the noise.

Join us for a free 30-minute briefing built for business leaders: "Zero Trust Security: What It Actually Is — And What It Means for Your Business"

📅 June 2 ⏰ 2PM EST

In 30 minutes you'll walk away knowing:
✅ What Zero Trust actually means
✅ 5 practical steps any organization can take right now
✅ Why your cyber insurer and your regulator are both paying attention

Can't join us live on June 2? Register anyway and we’ll send you the recording: https://hubs.li/Q04hqZg00

FINAL REMINDER: Our CMMC webinar with authorized C3PAO partner, SeraBrynn, is tomorrow!

If CMMC Level 2 compliance affects your contract eligibility, this webinar is a high-value way to get clarity on:

1. What “audit-ready” really means
2. The most common audit failures
3. How assessors evaluate evidence
4. Timeline expectations (including C3PAO scheduling realities)

Can't join us tomorrow? Register anyway and we’ll send you the recording: https://hubs.li/Q04h9q_j0

If we're in your neighborhood, come see us at these events:

🏥 Cory is excited to connect with the extraordinary teams attending the Care Providers of Minnesota Assisted Living Summit. Come say "hi" and chat about how to stay ahead of the 2026 proposed HIPAA changes.

🔐 Gord will be at GFOA Alberta Come connect on the course, at the gala, or stop by the VC3 booth to chat and be entered to win a luxury, vertical standing pen.

⭐ If you're at the Texas Municipal League Small Town Conference this week, be on the lookout for John. He will be there ready to talk about how VC3 supports smaller municipalities IT and cybersecurity needs!

Cybersecurity isn’t just about strong passwords, firewalls, and software patches. Unauthorized physical access to a device can create just as much risk.

When a computer is left unlocked, even for a few minutes, an unauthorized person could access sensitive emails, resident information, financial records, internal documents, public safety systems, or other municipal applications. This is especially important in shared offices, service counters, council chambers, public works areas, conference rooms, and other public or high-traffic spaces.

Before stepping away from your computer, always lock your screen. It only takes a second and helps prevent unauthorized access.

You can use these quick shortcuts:
🪟 Windows PC: Press `Windows + L`
🍎 Mac: Press `Control + Command + Q`

Locking your screen is a simple habit that protects your work, your coworkers, your residents, and your municipality from avoidable security incidents. If you walk away from your desk, lock your screen first.

Your biggest CMMC risk may not be failing the audit. It may be getting one in time.

For DoD contractors and subcontractors handling CUI, the challenge is no longer just readiness. It is capacity.

With 80,000+ organizations expected to need CMMC Level 2 certification and a limited number of accredited C3PAOs available to assess them, delays are becoming a real business risk.

Join SeraBrynn an accredited C3PAO, and VC3 on May 20 for a practical webinar on what Level 2 subcontractors should be doing now to prepare for third-party assessment, avoid scheduling delays, and improve audit readiness.

👉 Register here: https://hubs.li/Q04fb0QX0

This Week in the VC3 Galaxy ...

The VC3 crew is making the rounds this week, and we’d love to see you there:

👮 Stop by booth 306 at the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police, Inc. Conference to chat with Randy about the 10 most common CJIS compliance mistakes AND be entered to win a Bluetooth speaker!

🏙️ Mark French Barrett with be presenting "Cybersecurity Readiness & Dark Web Exposure" May 7 at NC League of Municipalities CityVision. Stop by the VC3 booth to chat with Mark, Dustin AND John about the presentation!

👋 Come say "hi" to Tara at the Ohio Provider Resource Association Great Provider Summit and chat with her about VC3's extensive experience working with county boards and related organizations focused on assisting developmentally disabled.

🏥 Gord is excited to be speaking at the CHA Alberta Called to Care Conference this week! You don't want to miss his session on May 7: Reimagining Resident/Patient Care: Technology That Elevates Experience, Efficiency & Trust

CMMC Level 2 readiness is only part of the challenge. Audit availability may be the bigger one.

With 80,000+ organizations expected to need Level 2 certification and a limited number of accredited C3PAOs available, delays are becoming a real contract risk for DoD contractors and subcontractors handling CUI.

Key takeaway:

🔘 6 to 12 months to get ready
🔘 Months more to secure an assessment
🔘 Waiting could put renewals and awards at risk

Best next steps:

1️⃣ Verify your required level
2️⃣ Start a NIST SP 800-171 gap assessment
3️⃣ Begin remediation and documentation now
4️⃣ Get on a C3PAO calendar early

If you handle CUI, now is the time to move.

Learn more about the CMMC auditor shortage: https://hubs.li/Q04f8tl-0