Octopus Project Activities

Back Octopus Conference 2026: Two more weeks to go until the global cybercrime community meets in Strasbourg. Livestreamed sessions available

Marking the 25th anniversary of the Convention on Cybercrime (Budapest Convention)

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 ahead, the 2026 edition will be of particular significance as it marks the 25th anniversary of the Convention on Cybercrime (Budapest Convention) and will be an opportunity to take stoke of its impact on cybercrime legislation at the global level.

The Conference will be offering high-level interventions and structured dialogue between public and private stakeholders worldwide, while also providing dedicated space for projects, partners and initiatives to showcase their cybercrime capacity building work.

Furthermore, Octopus Conference will be addressing emerging challenges such as the impact of artificial intelligence on cybercrime, the phenomenon of disinformation, illegal use of virtual assets, the prosecution of cyber-enabled international crimes, impact of online scams, and the continued importance of observing the conditions and safeguards to ensure compliance with human rights and the rule of law in the digital environment.

The Conference is a unique opportunity of a three day intense dialogue, knowledge exchange and networking on the present and future of cybercrime co-operation.

For interested participants not attending the Octopus Conference 2026 in person in Strasbourg between 14-16 October, a series of sessions will be livestreamed, namely:

Wednesday, 14 October 2026

9h00 – 12h30 CET – Opening Plenary: 25 years of the Convention on Cybercrime (#BudapestConvention): lessons from implementation and the road ahead
14h00 – 17h30 CET – Main session 1: Interplay between the #SecondAdditionalProtocol and EU e-evidence package: co-operation with online service providers
14h00 – 15h30 CET – Workshop 1: Disinformation and foreign manipulation: responding to cyber interference

Thursday, 15 October 2026

9h00 – 12h30 CET – Main session 2: Trafficking and scam compounds: threat to national security?
14h00 – 17h30 CET – Main session 3: Cybercrime-as-a-service: impact of #AI
14h00 – 15h30 CET – Workshop 8: Prosecuting cyber-enabled international crimes
16h00 – 17h30 CET – Workshop 9: Illegal use of virtual assets: co-operation with VASPs