Octopus Project

The Octopus Project is a Council of Europe project based on voluntary contributions from States Parties and Observers to the Convention on Cybercrime and other public and private sector organisations, aiming to support the implementation of the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime, 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 cooperation 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 2024

Documentation
Project summary, August 2020 (.pdf)
Octopus Project video, July 2021
Full report: The Budapest Convention on Cybercrime: benefits and impact in practice, July 2020 (.pdf)
Leaflet: Acceding to the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime: Benefits, June 2021 (.pdf)
Podcast: Cathie talks about cybercrime with Alexander Seger: EN, October 2021
Anniversary webpage: 20 years of the Convention on Cybercrime, October 2021
Factsheets: Budapest Convention | First Additional Protocol | Second Additional Protocol, November 2021 (.pdf)
Video: Budapest Convention explained: EN | FR | ES, November 2021
Video: First Additional Protocol explained: EN | FR | ES, November 2021
Video: Second Additional Protocol explained: EN | FR | ES, November 2021
Article: A new Protocol to the Convention on Cybercrime: For a more effective criminal justice response to crime online – with strong safeguards, November 2021

12-13 May: International conference and opening for signature of the 2nd Additional Protocol to the Convention on Cybercrime
Following almost four years of negotiations (September 2017 – May 2021) and formal approval on 17 November 2021, the 2nd Additional Protocol to the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime is now to be opened for signature by the Parties to the Convention at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, France,...
Council of Europe HELP online Course on Cybercrime and Electronic Evidence
Cybercrime and other crimes involving electronic evidence affect the right to private life of hundreds of millions of individuals whose personal data are stolen; attack the dignity and the integrity of individuals; are a threat to the freedom of expression, public security but also democratic...
The Government of Italy makes a voluntary contribution to the Octopus Project
The Government of Italy has made a voluntary contribution of EUR 10 000 to the Council of Europe action on cybercrime through the Octopus Project, in particular for the international conference dedicated to the Opening for signature of the Second Additional Protocol to the Convention on...