Segun Ebenezer Olaniyan — Cybersecurity Educator & UK Global Talent

About

Cybersecurity, with care for the people behind it.

Segun Ebenezer Olaniyan professional portrait

Segun is an award-winning information security professional, cyber security educator, and public speaker, known for his work in cybersecurity, third‑party risk management, vulnerability management, cyber awareness, and mentoring early‑career professionals. He has authored books and resources to help people launch and grow cybersecurity careers.

Segun is a UK Global Talent, recognised for his impact in cyber security innovation and education, public speaking, and community development around digital security. Additionally, he has built a visible online presence through platforms like LinkedIn and YouTube, where he offers guidance on topics such as practical cybersecurity career advice and the Global Talent route for cybersecurity professionals.

Experience

Where I've practised security.

Roles across global tech, fintech, healthcare consulting, and community education.

Information Security Analyst II

Kraken

Jul 2025 — Present · Manchester, UK

Strengthen security assurance for Kraken's products and services across KrakenFlex and the wider Kraken Technologies business.
Conduct third-party risk assessments, supplier due diligence, and support ISO 27001, SOC 2 and UK Cyber Essentials audits.
Analyse RiskRecon vendor findings, drive remediation with suppliers, and lead end-to-end user access reviews.
Automate core GRC functions using Tines and workflow tooling to reduce manual effort and accelerate audits.

Mentorship Program Director

Project [20] NextGen

Jan 2026 — Present · Manchester, UK

Direct an 8-week immersive mentorship program for aspiring cybersecurity professionals, combining rigorous learning, hands-on practice, and accountability.

Information Security Risk Analyst

InnovationSGP

Dec 2023 — May 2025 · United States

Led comprehensive risk assessments across cloud, vendor, and third-party hosted environments aligned to NIST CSF and ISO 27001.
Authored System Security Plans, POA&Ms, Incident Response and Contingency Plans, and control baselines.
Tiered vendors by data accessibility and escalated significant non-compliance to the VMO for follow-up.

Third-Party Risk Assessor

InnovationSGP

Dec 2022 — Dec 2023 · United States

Conducted information security risk assessments for third parties and cloud services for Johnson & Johnson.
Reviewed SOC 2 reports, ISO 27001 SoAs, vulnerability scans and pentest reports against control requirements.
Produced vendor risk reports, tracked remediation, and escalated non-compliance to management.

Vulnerability Remediation Analyst

InnovationSGP

Jun 2022 — Dec 2022 · United States

Developed remediation plans for vulnerabilities in 15+ vendor applications, reducing application security risk by ~95%.
Reviewed all vulnerability scans, reported impact to partners, and provided technical guidance on risk mitigation.

Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) Analyst

BridgePay Enterprise and Technologies

Oct 2023 — May 2025 · Nigeria

Built and enforced GRC frameworks aligned to fintech regulations and industry best practices.
Ran risk assessments and security audits across organisational data and systems.
Embedded risk management principles across departments through training and continuous monitoring.

Cybersecurity Career Coach (Europe / UK Region)

Hagital Consulting

Apr 2024 — Present · Remote

Coach students on job readiness, CV writing, LinkedIn optimisation, and interview preparation for cybersecurity roles.
Advise on Tech Visa routes for the UK and Europe, and on accessing certification grants and communities.

Founder & Chief Visionary Officer

Digital Security Village

Aug 2022 — Present · Lagos, Nigeria

Founded an initiative addressing the cybersecurity skill gap in Africa through bootcamps, workshops, masterclasses and webinars.

Faculty / Certified Trainer (CyberGirls, DigiGirls, CCSA, CyberOps)

CyberSafe Foundation

2022 — 2024 · Remote

Trained CyberGirls 3.0 & 4.0 and DigiGirls fellows on cybersecurity fundamentals, IAM, networking, IoT security, and ITIL4.
Delivered certified training on Check Point CCSA R81 and Cisco CyberOps Associate.

Cybersecurity Analyst

Binarify Limited

May 2020 — Jun 2022 · Remote

Assisted with incident response: investigation, containment, remediation, and post-incident analysis.
Authored security assessment reports and white papers; grew brand awareness 90% through content.

Awards & recognition

Recognised for impact across cybersecurity.

Honours from international bodies for technical excellence, education and community work.

2025

ISC2 Rising Star Professional Award — EMEA Region

ISC2

Recognising an up-and-coming professional in EMEA who has made a significant impact in cybersecurity early in their career.

2025

Outstanding Young Cyber Security Professional — Finalist

Cyber OSPAs · World Excellence Awards, UK

The Cyber OSPAs recognise outstanding performers across the cyber security sector — independent, inclusive, and globally respected.

2024

UK Global Talent Awardee

UK Home Office

Endorsed by the UK Home Office as a Global Talent for exceptional contributions to cybersecurity and digital innovation.

2022

SANS DMA Rising Star of the Year — Winner

SANS Institute

The SANS Difference Makers Awards highlight cybersecurity practitioners leading innovative developments and giving back to the InfoSec community.

2022

Outstanding Cybersecurity Practitioner Honoree

Blacks in Cybersecurity (BIC), United States

Awarded to an exemplary cybersecurity practitioner serving and uplifting the Black community in security.

2022

CSEAN Rising Star of the Year — Finalist

Cybersecurity Experts Association of Nigeria

Recognised among Nigeria's top emerging cybersecurity talents.

2021

Volunteer of the Year

CyberSafe Foundation

Recognised for sustained volunteer contribution to digital safety awareness and education.

Books & journals

Published works.

Practical, accessible material designed to help others enter and grow within cybersecurity.

Book

Journey to Cybersecurity

A Handy Roadmap on How to Get Started, Explore and Build a Career in Cybersecurity.

Book

The 21-Day Visibility Work Plan for Cyber Starters

Actionable 21-day plans to help beginners stand out in cybersecurity. Guides readers to turn their potential into career-ready skills and attract real opportunities.

Book

The Visibility Playbook for Cyber Starters

Practical strategies for emerging cybersecurity professionals to build visibility and grow their careers.

Journal

AI-Based Solutions for Detecting Phishing Emails: Technical Insights into NLP and Behavioural Analysis

Research on applying NLP and behavioural analysis to detect phishing at scale.

Journal

A Review on Connected Vehicle Cyber-Attacks and Various Intrusion Detection Techniques

Survey of attack surfaces and IDS approaches for connected vehicles.

Article

How People Always Make the Best Exploit

On the human element of cybersecurity and social engineering.

Speaking

Past speaking engagements.

Keynotes, panels and workshops with leading security communities and institutions.

2022

DEFCON 30 · BIC Village

Speaker

Creating More Black Hackers: Growth Systems for Cybersecurity Enthusiasts.

2023

Utiva Cybersecurity Conference

Keynote Speaker

The Evolving Landscape of Cybersecurity.

2023

Stronger 2023

Speaker

IoT Security Risks and Mitigation in Renewable Energy.

2023

Nigeria Cybersecurity Summit

Speaker

Addressing the Skill Gap in the Cybersecurity Space.

2024

Regenesys Business School, South Africa

Guest Lecturer

Realities in Cybersecurity.

2024

Tech Starters Conference

Speaker

See Yourself in Cybersecurity.

2025

Cyblack Cybersecurity Bootcamp

Trainer

ISC2 CC Exam Preparation Guide.

2025

Ladies in Tech Community

Speaker

Exploring Cybersecurity Careers: Roles, Skills, and How to Get Started.

2025

Verticul

Speaker

Breaking into Cybersecurity: Getting Started, Career Paths & Opportunities.

2022

Foursquare Teens Camp

Panelist

Delivered speeches to 7,000+ teenagers on how to navigate the tech space.

Mentorship initiative

Project [20] NextGen

A free, structured mentorship program pairing emerging cybersecurity professionals with experienced practitioners. Project [20] NextGen has guided 50+ mentees through career entry, certification paths, and the Cybersecurity job market.

50+

Mentees guided to date

10+

Expert-led Cyber Insight Sessions

Free

For all selected participants

Testimonials

In their own words.

"Project [20] NextGen, led by Mr Segun Olaniyan, was a defining moment in my journey. In the 8 weeks journey, I gained not only foundational knowledge but also clarity on the path I want to pursue. The program was practical, insightful, and intentionally structured to prepare us for real world challenges."

Dolapo Ajibade

Mentee, Project [20] NextGen

"I had an insightful and productive session with Segun. He literally took me through the entire process for the Global Talent Tech Nation Route, and simplified it by creating a checklist based on my experience and achievements. This session has boosted my confidence and helped streamline my application process for GT visa. Highly recommend this!"

Fransisca Ogundipe

Cyber SOC Analyst

"Great read, i have just finished reading it. I must say you are God sent, because this really came in for me just when I needs it, may God give Segun the grace to do more, he's been really inspiring, and trust me when i say I don't take things like this for granted. Thank you for always giving back"

Christiana Olusegun

Lead, SOC & Incident Response

UK Global Talent coaching

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