Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana, will host KazHackStan 2026 on September 29–30, focusing on protecting businesses, data and digital infrastructure from cyberattacks. The conference at the Palace of Independence is expected to attract more than 10,000 visitors, 200 companies, 100 regional and international speakers, and at least 25 hacker teams from Central Asia.
The dates and venue are confirmed by the CERT.kz Computer Incident Response Service. Author Eleonora Assanova outlined the program and its connection to Kazakhstan’s broader technology agenda.
Cyberattacks threaten business continuity
KazHackStan forms part of AI Month, a series of technology and artificial intelligence events running from September 23 to October 23. The initiative takes place during Kazakhstan’s designated Year of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence.
As organizations adopt AI and move services online, their operations increasingly depend on reliable information systems. A breach can affect employees, customers and business partners, extending the damage beyond the organization initially targeted.
“Today, a cyberattack is no longer a problem for a single IT department. It poses risks of business disruption, data leaks, financial and reputational losses, and disruption to critical infrastructure,” writes Assanova.
Conference participants will be able to see how hackers identify vulnerabilities, how intrusions unfold and how security specialists attempt to stop attacks.
Two tracks connect policy with technical practice
The KazHackStan program has two main tracks.
Government & Business Day will address public policy, regulation, national cybersecurity, digital transformation and technological independence.
Secure Development and Hack Day will focus on practical security work. Topics include secure software development, application security, or AppSec, and DevSecOps—the integration of security checks into software development and operations.
The program also covers open-source intelligence, known as OSINT, digital forensics, malware analysis, hardware security and protection for connected Internet of Things devices.
Announced speakers include American hacker Jayson E. Street, author of the Dissecting the Hack book series and Global Ambassador for DEF CON Groups. Also scheduled to participate are Alexey Lukatsky, an information security expert with more than 30 years of experience, and senior developer Maxim Romanyuk, alongside other industry specialists.
Digital Bridge separates invitation-only and ticketed sessions
The main event of AI Month will be AI & Digital Bridge 2026, an international forum bringing government representatives, global technology companies, businesses, investors, startups and international experts to Astana.
October 1 will feature a special high-level program involving senior state leaders, international delegations and technology industry executives. Attendance that day will be by special invitation.
October 2–3 will feature the forum’s open program for ticket holders. The official AI & Digital Bridge 2026 website confirms that these sessions require tickets, which provide access to the open program across both days.
For international visitors planning their schedules, purchasing a ticket for the open program should not be confused with receiving an invitation to the October 1 events.
Sponsors will cover the forum’s costs
According to Assanova’s account, partners and sponsors are financing AI & Digital Bridge 2026.
“All costs of organizing the forum are covered by sponsorship funding,” the author writes.
The forum’s Gold Partners are Freedom Bank and Kaspi.kz. BI Group is the Digital Partner, while Air Astana is the Official Airline Partner.
The forum is organized by Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development, Astana Hub and the Astana city administration.
Visitors attending both events should plan for KazHackStan on September 29–30 at the Palace of Independence, followed by the ticketed Digital Bridge program on October 2–3. The special October 1 program requires a separate invitation.
For further context on Kazakhstan’s technology sector, our earlier report examines the AI projects and cooperation agreements presented at Digital Qazaqstan 2026 in Shymkent.
