In an era when even crime has migrated online, the line between safety and vulnerability is often just a click apart. As cyber threats grow in scale and sophistication, the need to stay one step ahead has never been greater.
This is exactly what ‘c0c0n 2025’ — the 17th edition of Kerala Police’s annual international cybersecurity and hacking conference — seeks to do: to prepare individuals and institutions to “secure the cyber future together”.
Bringing together some of the brightest minds in the field of cybersecurity, the event begins on Tuesday and will conclude on October 11. While the first three days will focus on intensive training for law enforcement officers, the main conference is scheduled for October 10 and 11 at Grand Hyatt, Bolgatty, Kochi.
“It is a unique platform to discuss, showcase, educate, understand, and spread awareness on the latest trends in information safety, cybersecurity, and hi-tech crimes,” says an official.
“It also aims at providing a common platform for security forces, government, industrial leaders, startups, students, and professionals to get hands-on exposure to the latest technological advancements in the field.”
Notably, c0c0n 2025 will host a distinguished lineup of dignitaries, including chief guest Union home secretary Govind Mohan, UPSC chairman Ajay Kumar, Defence Cyber Agency director general Rear Admiral Sanjay Sachdeva, and Kudelski Security senior director Nathan Hamiel.
The ‘Villages’
A distinctive feature of c0c0n is its ‘village’ concept — a collection of interactive domains where participants engage in hands-on challenges, hacking simulations, and real-world problem-solving. The Villages scheduled for October 10 and 11 will include subjects such as AI, telecom and phishing.
Each village is curated by domain experts, research groups, and security communities, offering immersive exposure to hardware hacking, adversarial simulation, radio and wireless security, phishing labs, etc.
Parallel to the technical tracks, c0c0n 2025 will host an exhibition pavilion for cybersecurity vendors, startups, and service providers. The space will feature product demos, proof-of-concept installations, and networking opportunities, allowing participants to engage with innovators and explore new solutions in defence technologies, threat intelligence, secure coding, and forensics.
Officials say the event is expected to draw about 3,000 delegates from across the public and private sectors.
The opening ceremony of the main conference will be inaugurated by Union home secretary Govind Mohan held at 10am on October 10. MP Hibi Eden, State Police Chief Ravada Chandrasekhar, and Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau director Manoj Abraham will attend.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Industries Minister P Rajeeve will attend the closing ceremony on October 11.
Registrations for the event will close on October 8.
