Conference Announcement and Theme
The CIA Conference (CIACON) 2026 is scheduled for 23–24 September 2026 at PHD House in New Delhi. The event’s central theme, “AI vs AI,” will explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping cybersecurity both as a defensive capability and as an offensive weapon, prompting discussions on AI permissions, monitoring, manipulation, and accountability.
Evolution of the Conference
First held in 2018 at Manav Rachna, Faridabad, CIACON moved to a virtual format in 2020 due to the pandemic, incorporating international perspectives such as PCI DSS and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Since then, the conference has expanded to cover cloud infrastructure, connected devices, automated security operations, and generative AI, reflecting the broader transformation of the cybersecurity landscape.
Speaker Line‑up and Professional Diversity
The 2026 programme brings together a cross‑section of the cybersecurity ecosystem:
- National cybersecurity expert Rakshit Tandon.
- Nipun Jaswal, Senior Director and Global Capability Leader – Offensive Security at NTT DATA.
- Sushil Dash, Enterprise Architect and Red‑Team expert.
- Swati Anuj Arya, Vice President & Global BISO at S&P Global.
- Adish Jain, AVP & CISO at PE.
- Harish Goel, Senior Director – IT Security & Compliance at Publicis Groupe.
- Gaurav Wadhwa, Director – Enterprise Security Architecture at Tata Digital.
- Gunjan Chhillar, Cloud Solutions Architect – India & SAARC.
- Anuj Sharma, Solution Architecture at AVM Consulting Inc.
- Dr. Sushil Meher, Health IT & CISO at AIIMS.
- Prakash Kumar Ranjan, CISO & DPO at Sarman Capital Limited.
- Ummed Meel, Director – Cyber and IT Risk at Grant Thornton Bharat.
- Aman Bandvi, Founder Director – Policy, Governance, Trust at the Bharat Responsible AI Forum.
- Debjeet Banerjee, malware developer and researcher with Black Hills Information Security.
- Pavan Duggal, Advocate, Supreme Court of India, providing a legal perspective on digital evidence, privacy, liability and accountability.
This mix of CISOs, enterprise architects, risk leaders, AI‑governance specialists, offensive‑security professionals, and legal counsel illustrates the shift from a purely technical community to a broader security ecosystem.
Significance of Delhi‑NCR
Delhi, Gurugram and Noida constitute a tightly linked business and technology hub, hosting multinational IT firms, technology services providers, and large enterprise operations. The region’s concentration of cloud infrastructure, digital platforms, connected systems and AI‑enabled technologies creates security challenges that span technical, business and governance functions, making it an apt setting for the conference.
Changing Role of the CISO
The conference underscores how the CISO role now extends beyond traditional security operations to include decisions on AI adoption, access control to sensitive systems, business impact assessment of vulnerabilities, incident response strategy, and balancing security compliance with business objectives. Speakers such as Dr. Sushil Meher, Prakash Kumar Ranjan and Ummed Meel exemplify these expanded responsibilities.
AI as a Dual‑Edged Sword
Attendees will examine how organizations deploy AI for security event analysis, automated investigations and defender assistance, while adversaries experiment with AI‑driven reconnaissance, social engineering and autonomous attacks. The “AI vs AI” narrative captures this duality and raises governance questions about accountability when AI systems interact with enterprise data and infrastructure.
Practical Activities and Registration
In addition to panel discussions, the programme includes a Hardware Hacking Village for hands‑on exploration of emerging threats. Registration details are available via the CIACON 2026 registration page linked in the release.
Conclusion
CIACON 2026 reflects the convergence of technology, business, risk and regulation in modern cybersecurity, with Delhi‑NCR providing a strategic backdrop for dialogue on AI‑driven security challenges.