NC Tech Tour, a weeklong event highlighting the state’s technology sector, starts today in Asheville and will end in Wilmington on Friday with a cybersecurity panel.

The tour, hosted by NC Tech, will make five stops across the state, visiting members of the association and connecting with its partners.

The stops include company tours, panels and networking events in Asheville, Charlotte, the Triad, the Triangle and Wilmington.

The local stop will feature a free lunch and panel discussion on “Cyber Security Readiness – Is Your Business Cyber Resilient?” from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at tekMountain.

Richard Hayes, senior security specialist with Infranet; Kristina Allebach, chief information officer with REEDS Jewelers; and Daniel Staples, director of information technology at CastleBranch Corp., will make up the panel.

The discussion will include information on some of the best practices used by organizations to keep themselves protected from security breaches.

Registration is required and can be done here.

The NC Tech Tour started in 2013 as an initiative to highlight both the statewide impact of the association and the vibrancy of the tech sector, stated NC Tech’s website.

Here is a look at this week’s tour stops:

Asheville (Monday)

• Climate Change + The Digital World – Friend or Foe? – Highland Brewing Company, 3:30 to 5 p.m.
• Networking from 5 to 7 p.m. at Highland Brewing

Charlotte (Tuesday)

• Cyber Security Metrics – Which One Makes Sense? – WeWork Offices, 9 to 10:30 a.m.
• Tour: Levvel, SiteHands and Credit Karma, 11 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.
• Networking: Brewers 5 to 7 p.m.

Triad (Wednesday)

• Tour: Venture Cage and Inmar, 2 to 4:15 p.m.
• Networking: Hutch + Harris Pub, 5 to 7 p.m.

Triangle (Thursday)

• The Military Workforce: Leveraging Technologically Advanced Military Talent, WeWork Offices 9 to 10:30 a.m.
• Tour: Avalara and Google (Chapel Hill), 2 to 4:15 p.m.
• Networking: Jordan Lake Brewing Company, 5 to 7 p.m.

Wilmington (Friday)

• Cyber Security Readiness – Is Your Business Cyber Resilient? – tekMountain, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.