Indonesian Team Attends ROOTCON 19 Cybersecurity Conference in Philippines
A five-member Indonesian team from Swiss German University traveled to the Philippines in late September 2025 to attend ROOTCON 19, the country’s premier hacking and information security conference focused on “Augmented Threats” in cybersecurity.
Key Details
ROOTCON 19 took place September 24-26, 2025 at the Royce Hotel in Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga, featuring the theme “Augmented Threats.” The conference highlighted how artificial intelligence, automation, and adversarial machine learning are transforming the cyber-threat landscape, according to Dr. Semi Yulianto, a Swiss German University Master of IT program lecturer who led the Indonesian delegation.
The team strategically divided their conference passes, with three members choosing the Human+ track for Day 0 access and two taking general admission Human passes. The Human+ subgroup participated in exclusive Red Teaming training workshops on Day 0, while other team members used the time to network and explore conference villages.
The conference venue impressed attendees with spacious halls, reliable Wi-Fi, ample power outlets, and thoughtful layout designed for the tech-heavy event hosting hundreds of participants. Founded in 2008, ROOTCON has evolved from a local meet-up into a regional hub for hackers and security researchers across Asia.
Background & Context
ROOTCON’s name merges “root,” the Unix/Linux superuser, and “con,” short for conference, reflecting its hacker culture origins. Over the years, the conference has become known for strong technical content, vibrant villages, and hands-on learning opportunities.
The conference featured keynote talks on AI-driven attacks, ICS/OT exploitation, reverse engineering, and advanced threat intelligence. Sessions exploring the fusion of AI with red teaming tactics aligned with broader industry concerns about adversarial machine learning accelerating cyberattack sophistication.
Villages focusing on hardware hacking, red teaming, and lockpicking provided opportunities for smaller group discussions and hands-on exploration. The community-driven nature of ROOTCON enabled connections between participants from the Philippines, Southeast Asia, and beyond through conversations about open-source tooling, joint CTF initiatives, and collaborative research projects.
What’s Next
The Indonesian team identified key takeaways for future cybersecurity efforts:
- Augmented threats are here—AI and automation are reshaping the attack surface
- Hands-on learning matters more than theory
- Community connections are invaluable, especially across national borders
- Regional context drives priorities—threat landscapes in Southeast Asia have unique dynamics
- Collaboration must continue post-conference to turn insights into action
The team plans to share insights gained from the hacking conference and strengthen regional cybersecurity ties. Dr. Yulianto noted that ROOTCON 19 proved to be “far more than a hacking conference” but rather “a convergence of knowledge, culture, and collaboration.” The delegation returns to Indonesia inspired to apply lessons learned about cybersecurity best practices and emerging threats in their academic and professional work.
