In recent times, there has been a growth in the evolution and adoption of technology all over the world. The African continent has not been left out of this adoption as there has been a rapid adoption of technology to solve problems like financial inclusion, last mile logistics and healthcare delivery. This has given rise to the establishment and growth of technology companies – Fintech, HeathTech – in many African countries. With the adoption of technology, there comes the attendant cybersecurity risks. Below are some individuals doing good work to secure digital assets and infrastructure in Africa.
Success Imakuh
Success Imakuh, an infrastructure/security specialist and a serial technology entrepreneur, is a rising leader in the global financial technology industry. He drives innovation, digital transformation, and large infrastructure design across banking and capital financial markets, demonstrating a commitment to operational excellence and business growth.
Success is a tech industry rising star, tackling global payment fraud and anti-money laundering challenges. Notably, he has led cross-functional teams to deliver high-impact projects for some of Africa’s fastest-growing fintech companies, recognized by the Financial Times. His work has streamlined operations and enhanced responsiveness to the ever-increasing market demands and technological advancements in the financial technology industry.
Christian Bassey
Christian Bassey is a cyber security engineer with nearly a decade of experience. After graduating with a bachelor’s in Computer Engineering from the University of Uyo, he worked as a software engineer building business-critical applications and services before transitioning into cybersecurity where he has worked as a security analyst, cyber security engineer at a top 10 financial institution and a threat intelligence engineer. Christian holds a Master’s in Security and Network Engineering from Innopolis University. Russia, where he was in the top 1 % of his class – graduating with a near-perfect GPA. Additionally, he holds several certifications, such as the Certified Red Team Professional (CRTP), eLearnSecurity Junior Penetration Tester (eJPT), and Splunk Enterprise Security Administrator. He is also a member of OWASP and ISACA. He currently supports the architecting of detection and response solutions and plans for organizations in the critical infrastructure sectors.
Christian actively researches known and unknown threats and threat actors affecting critical infrastructure and operational technology, performing adversary emulation, crafting detection rules to detect the identified malicious behavior and building and deploying architectures to ensure that organizational infrastructure is secure and resilient from cyber attacks. He has researched various aspects of infrastructure security and malware. His research is considered globally impactful and has awards for excellence in cybersecurity.
Opeyemi Oloruntola
Opeyemi Oloruntola is a distinguished cybersecurity expert and data scientist renowned for his innovative approaches to tackling cybersecurity challenges. Leveraging his advanced data science skills for log analysis, attack impact modeling, and threat prediction, he consistently delivers cutting-edge solutions. Opeyemi holds a Master’s degree in Data Science from Greenwich University and a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Bells University, Nigeria. He is currently a cybersecurity analyst for a leading nonprofit focused on securing financial institutions globally. He has previously fortified top financial institutions in Nigeria and he excels in financial data protection, threat detection, vulnerability management, and threat intelligence.
Opeyemi’s certifications from EC-Council, underscore his expertise in identifying and mitigating cyber threats. His dual proficiency in data science and cybersecurity enables him to develop sophisticated models that predict and prevent security breaches, positioning him as an invaluable asset to the financial sector. Opeyemi’s innovative work and expertise solidify his reputation as a formidable talent in both data science and cybersecurity.
Ifeanyi Onyia-Odike
Ifeanyi Onyia-odike is a distinguished cybersecurity and network engineer with a Master’s degree in Security and Network Engineering from the University of Innopolis in Russia and a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering from Enugu State University of Science and Technology in Enugu, Nigeria. He is a lifetime member of the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) and a member of the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA), two prominent organizations in the field of information security. His certifications include the Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP), ITIL Foundation Version 4, Checkpoint Certified Security Expert (CCSE), Checkpoint Certified Security Administrator (CCSA), eLearnSecurity Junior Penetration Tester (eJPT), and Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA). Throughout his career, he has contributed significantly to the field through various roles, including at Fidelity Bank, where he played a pivotal role in a major system technology refresh project, and at First City Monument Bank as an Application Security Analyst. His open-source contributions as a threat intelligence researcher for Wazuh Inc. have been widely recognized. He has published numerous articles and research papers on cybersecurity topics such as monitoring remote OpenVPN connections, responding to network attacks, and enhancing security operations using open-source XDR and SIEM platforms. He has received several awards, including a fully funded Master’s degree scholarship and a Diploma of Academic Excellence from Innopolis University.
