Kochi to host India's longest-running cybersecurity conference in October 2026

Kochi will host the 19th edition of c0c0n 2026, India's longest-running cybersecurity and hacking conference, with the eight-day event scheduled from October 6 to 13 at Grand Hyatt Bolgatty. The conference is being organised by the Kerala Police and is expected to draw over 200 speakers and delegates from more than 20 countries.

Event Structure and Focus Areas

State Police Chief Ravada A. Chandrasekhar, addressing a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday, said the conference will focus on the evolving cybersecurity landscape and the need to build stronger, smarter and more resilient digital ecosystems. The event will be conducted in three distinct phases: pre-conference technical training from October 6 to 8, the main conference on October 9 and 10, and post-conference technical training from October 11 to 13.

The conference will bring together cybersecurity professionals, government and law enforcement agencies, industry leaders, researchers, technology experts, academicians and students from across India and around the world.

Technical Tracks and Discussion Themes

According to Mr. Chandrasekhar, the discussions will explore emerging cyber threats, AI-driven security, financial-sector cybersecurity, industrial and operational technology security, hardware security, cybercrime investigation, digital forensics and other emerging challenges. The conference will feature dedicated tracks covering critical areas of cybersecurity, including Artificial Intelligence, Leadership and Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC), FinTech and Banking, Finance Services and Insurance (BFSI), IoT, law enforcement agencies, and child sexual exploitation and abuse.

High-Profile Speakers and International Participation

Deputy National Security Advisor of India T.V. Ravichandran, State Bank of India chairman Challa Sreenivasulu Shetty, and National Stock Exchange of India managing director and CEO Ashishkumar Chauhan will be among the prominent speakers at the event. Senior officials representing the Cyber Security wing of the United Arab Emirates, CERT-In, Oman National CERT and INTERPOL will also participate.

A dedicated Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse track will address some of the most serious challenges affecting children in the digital environment. Besides, a post-conference training session on Dark Web will be organised for the Kerala Police.

Source: The Hindu