Nullcon 2026 Introduces ‘Day Zero’ to Bridge Cybersecurity Research and Boardroom Cyber Strategy

Senior Government Officials, Enterprise CISOs and National Cyber Leaders to Convene at Nullcon Goa 2026’s Inaugural Leadership Forum

Princeton, NJ – Nullcon, Asia’s largest hacking and cybersecurity conference, is expanding its 16th edition with the launch of Day Zero, an invite-only leadership forum scheduled for Feb. 27 at BITS Pilani, Goa Campus, ahead of the main conference. Designed exclusively for CISOs, CIOs, CTOs, senior policymakers and cybersecurity decision-makers, Day Zero marks the first time in Nullcon’s history that executive strategy has been formally integrated into its research-first program.

Bridging Research and the Boardroom

As AI-powered systems permeate enterprise operations and global tensions reshape threat activity, cybersecurity risk has moved well beyond the technical perimeter. Day Zero reflects this evolution. Its program is directly mapped to Nullcon’s technical tracks, ensuring executive discussions are informed by the same core research and exploit disclosures presented at the main conference.

The curated program includes:

• Executive-level analysis of exploit life cycles and business risk;
• AI threat briefings on deepfakes and automated attack systems;
• A cross-functional tabletop simulation spanning CISO, legal and business perspectives;
• Post-quantum readiness assessments;
• Leadership sessions on governance, budgeting and vendor due diligence.

The forum concludes with a curated CXO networking evening.

The Voices Shaping India’s Cyber Defense

Day Zero brings together some of India’s most senior voices in national cybersecurity policy and enterprise security leadership. The speaker lineup includes retired Lt. Gen. Rajesh Pant, former National Cybersecurity Coordinator; Abhishek Singh, IAS, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, and Director General, NIC; Lokesh Garg, Director General, NCIIPC; Sanjay Bahl, Director General, CERT-In; Rajesh Kumar, CEO, I4C; Vivek Yadav, Director-IT and Cybersecurity, Ministry of Defence; retired Lt. Gen. M. Unnikrishnan Nair, former National Cyber Security Coordinator, National Security Council Secretariat; and Durga Prasad Dube, Senior Vice President and Global CISO, Reliance Industries.

Their participation reflects the forum’s dual mandate: equipping enterprise leaders with actionable intelligence while strengthening the connection between private sector security practice and national cyber policy.

“Nullcon has always been anchored in three pillars: community, education and technical depth,” said Rahul Neel Mani, director at Nullcon. “Day Zero extends that foundation into the leadership layer. Security today requires systems thinking, cross-functional alignment and anticipatory strategy. This forum is designed to equip leaders to move from reactive defense to strategic foresight.”

Policy, Governance and Strategic Risk

The broader CXO track at Nullcon Goa 2026 extends these themes, covering India’s data protection framework and 72-hour breach response planning, securing critical infrastructure in a rapidly digitizing environment, and AI governance and trust frameworks. By bringing policymakers, enterprise leaders and technical practitioners together within one structured forum, Nullcon aims to strengthen collaborative resilience across public and private sectors.

With the global cybersecurity workforce shortage continuing to challenge organizations, Nullcon’s expanded leadership programming complements its hands-on training and technical tracks. The 16th edition ensures that operational practitioners and executive decision-makers engage with the same evolving threat landscape – from different vantage points, but with shared accountability.

Nullcon Goa 2026 features hands-on security training from Feb. 25-27 and March 2-4, Day Zero on Feb. 27, and the main conference from Feb. 28-March 1 – all at BITS Pilani, Goa Campus.

For registration and event details, visit https://nullcon.net/goa-2026/dayzero.

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About ISMG

Information Security Media Group (ISMG) is the world’s largest media organization devoted solely to cybersecurity, information technology, artificial intelligence and operational technology. Each of our 38 media properties provides education, research and news that is specifically tailored to key vertical sectors including banking, healthcare and the public sector; geographies from North America to Southeast Asia; and topics such as data breach prevention, cyber risk assessment, OT security, AI and fraud. Our annual global summit series connects senior security professionals with industry thought leaders to find actionable solutions for pressing cybersecurity challenges.

About Nullcon

Nullcon came into existence in 2010 and is managed and marketed by Payatu Technologies Pvt. Ltd. With the advent of cutting-edge technologies, security is crucial as technology brings a myriad of threats along. Nullcon is an extensive platform for the exchange of information about zero-day vulnerabilities, latest attack vectors and other cyberthreats. Here, security researchers and experts from various fields discuss information security, along with showcasing multiple offensive and defensive security technologies.

About ISMG Events

ISMG Events is a premier platform for security professionals and practitioners worldwide. Our global, annual events bring together the ISMG Events Community, comprising over 40,000 members, to exchange knowledge, insights, and best practices in the field of cybersecurity. The cornerstone of our event portfolio is the ISMG Global Summit Series. These summits take place both virtually and in-person, offering participants a diverse range of topics to explore. In addition to our Global Summit Series, ISMG Events hosts exclusive Executive Roundtables and Custom events.