Octopus Project
The Octopus Project is a Council of Europe project based on voluntary contributions from state Parties and Observers to the Convention on Cybercrime and other public and private sector organisations, aiming to support the implementation of the Convention on Cybercrime (Budapest Convention), its Protocols and related standards, as well as to address additional challenges that came to the forefront in the course of 2020.
Results are expected in the following areas:
- Assistance of the criminal justice authorities from the countries willing to implement the Budapest Convention, its First Protocol on Xenophobia and Racism, its Second Additional Protocol to the Convention on Cybercrime on enhanced co-operation and disclosure of electronic evidence, as well as related standards;
- Support to the Cybercrime Convention Committee (T-CY);
- Organisation of the Octopus conferences on co-operation against cybercrime;
- Development of online tools for the delivery of capacity building activities on cybercrime and electronic evidence.
Duration of the project: 1 January 2021 – 31 December 2027
The Council of Europe gratefully acknowledges the contributions of the following donors to the Octopus Project:
Canada – France – Hungary – Iceland – Italy – Japan – Malta – Monaco – The Netherlands – The United Kingdom and the United States of America.
The Octopus Project is open to voluntary contributions. Consult the Octopus Project leaflet (version March 2026) and the flexible partnership opportunities leaflet (version May 2026) 
Documents
Project summary, June 2023
Project leaflet, March 2026
Flexible partnership opportunities leaflet (version May 2026) new
Full report: The Budapest Convention on Cybercrime: benefits and impact in practice, July 2020
Anniversary webpage: 20 years of the Convention on Cybercrime, Oct 2021
Factsheets: Convention on Cybercrime | First Additional Protocol | Second Additional Protocol, Nov 2021
Article: A new Protocol to the Convention on Cybercrime: For a more effective criminal justice response to crime online – with strong safeguards, Nov 2021
Study: COVID-19 related cybercrime in Asia: Regional Study, June 2022
Leaflet: Cyberviolence Resource, Dec 2023
Study: Implementing the First Protocol to the Convention on Cybercrime on Xenophobia and Racism: Good practice study, Dec 2023
Article: C-PROC at 10: Ten years of capacity building by the Cybercrime Programme Office of the Council of Europe, Dec 2023 (also .pdf)
Leaflet: Joining the Convention on Cybercrime: Benefits: EN / FR / ESP, July 2025
Video resources
Budapest Convention explained: Audio resources
Podcast (episode 1): Cathie talks about cybercrime with Alexander Seger | EN, October 2021
Podcast (episode 2): More cybercrime, with Alexander Seger| EN, May 2022
Podcast (episode 3): Cybercrime roundtable | EN, May 2022
Listen to more podcasts explaining our work against cybercrime.
Marking the 25th anniversary of the Convention on Cybercrime (Budapest Convention)
Octopus Conference 2026: Two more weeks to go until the global cybercrime community meets in Strasbourg. Livestreamed sessions available
The Octopus Conference organised by the Council of Europe every 12 to 18 months constitutes one of the biggest and finest platforms of exchange in cybercrime and electronic evidence, gathering experts from more than 100 countries, international organisations, private sector and academia. Looking...
GLACY-e and Octopus Project: Uruguay advances the Criminal Procedure Code reform for strengthening the electronic evidence framework
On 21 July 2026, the GLACY-e joint project of the European Union and the Council of Europe contributed to the session of the Commission for Constitution and Legislation of the Uruguayan Senate, where legislators debated a landmark reform of the country's Criminal Procedure Code incorporating new...
CyberSEE Project and Octopus Project – CYBERKOP Action: The Western Balkans Working Group on Digital Assets Investigation advances investigation skills with its second regional workshop in Budva
The CyberSEE project in co-operation with the CEPOL Western Balkans Partnership against Crime and Terrorism (WB PaCT) project enhanced the investigative capacities through the organisation of the Western Balkans Working Group on Digital Asset Investigations, in Budva, Montenegro, from 29 June to...
Octopus Project video (2021)
In Focus
CYBERKOP Action of the Octopus Project
Upcoming events:
- 14-16 October 2026, in Strasbourg, France
- Save the date (.pdf)
