The Tizel CEO & ISACA She Leads Tech Awardee on Quantum Security, Cognitive Complacency, and Turning Risk into Resilience
As the digital landscape of Africa expands at an unprecedented pace, the demand for security professionals who can navigate the complex intersection of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and human behavior has never been higher. Few embody this necessary expertise like Blessing Ifeoluwa Omogbehin, a distinguished AI & ML Specialist, passionate security advocate, and CEO of Tizel Cybersecurity. A recipient of the prestigious ISACA SheLeadsTech Award, Blessing’s work transcends technical mastery; it focuses on building sustainable, locally intelligent
security ecosystems and empowering the next generation of African tech leaders.
In this exclusive interview, Blessing dives deep into the most persistent challenges facing modern organizations, from the single most dangerous human vulnerability that technology can’t fix, to the transformative potential of quantum computing in incident response. She shares her proven strategies for teaching complex cyber threat intelligence, the core value that must unify security and business units, and her personal journey of mastering difficult challenges to become an advocate of possibilities.
The beauty of AI is its ability to process complexity with precision. For non-interest banks in Nigeria, AI is not a risk
to Riba prohibition; it is the ultimate compliance and trust-building tool.
Get ready to stretch your own bandwidth as we explore the insights of one of Africa’s foremost experts on turning digital risk into global resilience
Q&A with Blessing Ifeoluwa Omogbehin
Q: You are a passionate advocate for Defensive Security and addressing human vulnerabilities. What is the single most common human vulnerability that security technology alone cannot fix, and what is your strategy for mitigating it?
A: The single most persistent human vulnerability I have observed over the years as a cybersecurity professional is cognitive complacency, which I define as the natural tendency for people to underestimate risk because they assume that someone else, or the system, is taking care of security. No technology can fully solve this because it is rooted in human behavior, not system design. For example, employees working in non-IT domains often believe that IT security is the IT team’s responsibility, whereas they believe security should be everyone’s responsibility.
My mitigation strategy is two-fold:
- Behavioral Conditioning: embedding security awareness into daily routines through scenario-driven micro-trainings that make individuals see security as personal rather than procedural. In all my trainings, I usually do a demo for employees to see the impact of their security negligence on their organization’s business continuity and once business is disrupted, their earnings are affected too.
- Human-in-the-loop Security: designing workflows where employees are active security participants, for example, encouraging analysts or staff to validate anomalies rather than relying entirely on automation. This approach transforms security from a passive expectation into a shared responsibility.
Q: With over 10 years of experience in Curriculum Development, how do you approach teaching complex topics like Digital Forensics or Cyber Threat Intelligence to make them easily understandable for both technical and non-technical staff?
A: Teaching, for me, is an innate ability, strengthened by my professional certification in education (B.Sc. Ed & TRCN). When explaining technical concepts, I always use the known to explain the unknown, starting with simple, familiar ideas and then gradually introducing deeper technical layers. For subjects like Digital Forensics or Cyber Threat Intelligence, I bridge the gap by:
- Designing hands-on labs that mirror workplace scenarios but remain tool-agnostic, ensuring learners grasp the underlying principles rather than memorizing commands.
- Using narratives and real-world case studies, for example, relating digital forensics to a police investigation of an incident, or explaining passwords as online underwear to emphasize the non-sharing principle to avoid infection (cyber threats), then introducing tools or methodologies.
- Applying layered instruction, where each concept is delivered visually, practically, and analytically.
This structure allows technical learners to gain depth and rigor, while non-technical audiences achieve clarity and confidence.
Q: As a mentor and a recipient of the ISACA SheLeadsTech Award, what is the most significant challenge you observe young professionals facing when trying to “Turn Risk into Resilience” in their own careers?
A: The biggest challenge I see is fear of failure disguised as perfectionism. Many young professionals believe they must be fully ready before taking on new roles, responsibilities, or technologies. They believe they need to know all the cybersecurity tools before projecting themselves. This mindset prevents them from embracing the iterative learning process required in cybersecurity (continuous learning). My advice and what I mentor them to practice is reframing risk as experiential learning. You build resilience not by avoiding uncertainty, but by engaging with it strategically and consistently. This is why I constantly preach practical cybersecurity.
Q: Your technical writing focuses on simplifying complex concepts. How important is the ability to communicate technical findings simply to the success of an organization’s Vulnerability Assessment and remediation program?
A: Clear communication is not a soft skill; it is a critical security control. A vulnerability assessment is only as effective as the organization’s ability to understand, prioritize, and act on the findings. When technical findings are simplified:
- Risks are translated into business impacts, not jargon
- Leadership allocates resources more decisively
- Remediation teams take faster, more accurate action
Q: You’ve developed security tools using Python. How do you decide which security challenge, such as access management or encryption, is best solved by building an automated solution versus buying an off-the-shelf product?
A: My decision-making process balances strategic fit and operational sustainability: I build custom solutions when the challenge is context-specific, such as log parsing tailored to an organization’s unique environment or an automation pipeline that needs tight integration with internal
workflows. I buy off-the-shelf tools when the need is commodity functionality, for example, standard encryption libraries or access management tools that adhere to global best practices. The goal is always to maximize efficiency while maintaining flexibility, security, and long-term maintainability. This was why I chose to work on integrating deep learning with blockchain technology for anomaly detection during my master’s degree program.
Q: In your opinion, what is the most significant Defensive Security priority that organizations in Africa should be focusing on over the next 12-18
months?
A: African organizations must prioritize cyber hygiene standardization, especially around identity-first security and continuous monitoring, now that every organization is gradually shifting towards Artificial Intelligence. The rapid digitalization across financial services, health, education, and government means that weak authentication practices and inconsistent audit trails remain the biggest vulnerability. And most organizations now see security compliance as an eye service protocol. They only checklist security when they learn about an auditor visit, which is not an ideal security practice. Strengthening identity security, compliance, improving logging maturity, and ensuring reliable incident response capabilities will create a more resilient digital ecosystem continent-wide.
Q: Which emerging area of machine learning or computer science do you believe holds the most promise for revolutionizing incident detection and response in the next five years?
A: In my view, the emerging field that holds the most transformative potential for incident detection and response over the next five years is the integration of quantum computing with AI-driven security applications. Quantum computing introduces computational capabilities that far exceed the limits of classical systems, particularly in solving complex optimization and pattern-recognition problems at unprecedented speed. When paired with advanced AI models, this synergy can revolutionize several aspects of cybersecurity, like Real-time detection of sophisticated attack patterns, especially those hidden within massive, high-dimensional datasets that traditional systems struggle to process. Quantum-enhanced anomaly detection enables security operations centers to identify subtle deviations in system behavior before they escalate into breaches. Accelerated threat modeling and simulation, allowing defenders to evaluate millions of possible attack paths or response strategies in seconds. While quantum computing is still evolving, its convergence with AI represents a foundational shift. It promises not only faster detection but more predictive, adaptive, and intelligence-driven response mechanisms, ultimately redefining what “real-time” security truly means.
Q: As a security professional who values knowledge-sharing and empowerment, what core value do you believe must drive the relationship between a security team and the broader business units it serves?
A: The core value that must drive the relationship between a security team and the broader business units is collaborative transparency.
Security cannot function as an isolated or authoritative unit; it excels when every part of the organization understands its role in protecting the business. Collaborative transparency means the security team communicates openly explaining risks, decisions, and trade-offs in a way that aligns with business goals rather than technical jargon. It also means listening to operational realities from other departments, so security solutions are practical, not disruptive. When transparency is paired with true collaboration, security becomes a shared mission, I mean business units feel empowered rather than restricted, security teams gain deeper insight into real workflows and risks and both sides co-create solutions that enhance resilience and support business growth.
Q: Your personal mantra is about enjoying “stretching your bandwidth” and being an “advocate of possibilities.” What current, complex challenge in cybersecurity are you personally focused on mastering next?
A: I strongly believe that humans define their own limits, but naturally, there is no end to our strength. We configure ourselves toward what we believe is our strength, but that doesn’t mean we cannot achieve more. I have worked with this mindset for years, and it has opened doors I never dreamed
possible. I am currently focused on deepening my expertise in AI-driven threat detection for critical infrastructure, especially in environments where data is fragmented, unstructured, or incomplete. Integrating responsible AI principles into forensic analysis and operational threat detection is a complex challenge, but it aligns with my passion for pushing boundaries while making cybersecurity more accessible and meaningful.
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