Kerala Police’s c0c0n 2026 cybersecurity and hacking conference was inaugurated in Kochi on Friday, bringing more than 200 speakers and 3,000 participants together to discuss digital threats, artificial intelligence misuse and fraud prevention.
The two-day conference is being held across six tracks focused on emerging vulnerabilities affecting individuals, institutions and digital infrastructure. Home minister Ramesh Chennithala inaugurated the event and said threat actors were increasingly using ransomware, malware and cyber theft to exploit weaknesses.
Chennithala stressed the need for closer coordination between ethical hackers and law enforcement agencies. He said cooperation between the two groups would be necessary to identify vulnerabilities and respond effectively to changing cyber threats.
The minister also referred to the Pegasus spyware controversy during his inaugural address. “There are so many case studies in our day-to-day discussion about Pegasus. There are a lot of discussions on Pegasus, how Pegasus is operating even in the biggest, largest democratic country in the world, India,” he said. Chennithala added that such developments raised questions about the effect of surveillance technologies on normal life.
State Bank of India chairman Challa Sreenivasulu Setty said the bank’s cybersecurity systems had helped prevent potential fraud losses of approximately Rs 28,000 crore during the 2025–26 financial year. He said real-time rules prevented suspicious transactions worth approximately Rs 1,000 crore, while transactions involving watch-listed accounts helped prevent potential losses of approximately Rs 27,000 crore.
The figures presented at the conference underline the scale of the challenge for financial institutions as more banking activity moves through digital channels. The event’s discussions are focused on threats that can affect both public systems and private users, including phishing, malware, ransomware and cyber theft.
Deputy national security adviser T V Ravichandran, who delivered the presidential address, said cybercrime was rising alongside industrial and technological advancement. He highlighted the misuse of artificial intelligence for phishing attacks and deepfakes, and called for robust cybersecurity solutions and collaboration among policymakers, police and ethical hackers to protect the country’s digital infrastructure.
State police chief Ravada Chandrasekhar delivered the welcome address and noted c0c0n’s continuing role in building awareness about digital threats. DGP of the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau Manoj Abraham delivered the vote of thanks. The conference will continue for two days with discussions across its six focus areas.
