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 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 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 2027
Documents
Project summary, June 2023
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 / ES, July 2024
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
Deadline for submissions: 5 May 2025
Octopus Conference 2025: Youth and Cybercrime Competition launched
Young people play a significant role in the digital ecosystem, both as key actors and as vulnerable individuals facing cyber threats. The Cybercrime Programme Office of the Council of Europe (C-PROC) is launching a Youth and Cybercrime Competition to engage youth and youth organisations in...
Antigua and Barbuda enhances cybercrime response by training under the Octopus Project
The Ministry of Information Communication Technologies, Utilities and Energy of Antigua and Barbuda, in cooperation with the Octopus Project of the Council of Europe, organised the Introductory course on cybercrime and e-evidence for the authorities of Antigua and Barbuda. In his opening remarks,...
INJT: First 2025 practitioner-to-practitioner webinar highlights 24/7 Network’s benefits
On 25 March 2025, the International Network of National Judicial Trainers (INJT) held its first 2025 practitioner-to-practitioner (P2P) webinar on the topic of international cooperation on cybercrime and electronic evidence, with a focus on the 24/7 Network established under the Convention on...
Octopus Project video (2021)
In Focus
