Ifeoluwa Success was born in Ekiti State, Southwestern Nigeria. He attended the Apostolic Grammar school for his primary education. After his secondary education, he joined the Nigerian Air Force as an Air Traffic Control Assistant. During his time with the Nigerian Air Force, Success furthered his studies and obtained a Higher National Diploma (HND). He spent six years with the armed forces before moving on.
His pivot into cybersecurity came after he quit his job with the Nigerian Air Force. Success says the decision was deliberate, having served for 27 months across both ground-troop and air-component teams. The gaps he observed between the two teams later contributed to his decision to build a tech solution to address air-to-ground communication issues.
The ground troops, he explains, are the soldiers of the Nigerian Army in the battle against insurgency, while the air troops are officers of the Nigerian Air Force who provide intelligence and coordinate attacks.
In this interview, Success, who now works at Sabo Finance Multiglobal Limited, shares his experience and why he chose a career in cybersecurity after leaving the Air Force.
The communication gaps between ground troops and the air component informed your decision to quit the Air Force?
Yes. Gap in communication and support. You know the fight against insurgency is always better when you have support. Air support becomes useless when you can’t communicate with them effectively about your positions and your enemy’s positioning, too. And being able to describe what you look like and what your enemies look like is also very important.
Human response to cyber incidents in aviation is still largely untested. Why do you think so?
I was actively involved in the fight against insurgency for about two years while I was in the Northeast. I served as an air traffic controller for air troops. So I discovered that when it’s time to describe their position or appearance to the air component, it becomes very difficult. So the commanding officer and I had about a week of lectures with the troops on how to correctly describe their position to avoid fratricide (killing your own troops) and to maximise firepower against the insurgents.
I made the statement because, in theory, everyone is an expert, but in real-life application, it becomes a different story entirely.
You built a simulation-based cybersecurity platform specifically for aviation personnel. Can you share more details on it and how it works?
It’s a platform for people in the fight against insurgency, i.e., military personnel and members of the public interested in the aviation sector’s efforts against insurgency, and it’s called SkyShield Edu. The idea is to immerse users and train them through interactive, scenario-driven simulations, rather than the theory commonplace in most lecture-based security training.
The platform tracks three variables in real time: response speed, decision accuracy, and consistency across repeated scenarios. It’s built around GPS spoofing threats, minimising or eradicating unauthorised access to air traffic control systems and radio frequency jamming, because if the opposition gains access to all of these, the fight is as good as over. The fight against insurgency is embedded in these three functions.
Victoria Fakiya – Senior Writer
Techpoint Digest
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Reducing or eliminating radio-frequency jamming helps both ground troops and air components communicate effectively; any unwelcome third party shouldn’t have access to that frequency.
So this system was built to eradicate the man-in-the-middle attacks. Since not everyone on the ground can have the communication tool, only one person can communicate with the air component. When the man in the middle cannot report an accurate position, it becomes hard for the air components to assist, even though they are able and willing.
How many people have you trained so far? Have there been some collaborations with the government, or is this just for civilians?
In Q1 2025 (January – March), we recorded about 963 registered users on the platform and issued 649 certifications.
Collaboration with the government is something we’re working on. Some of those I’ve shared it with are excited because it’s going to reduce fratricide and tremendously enhance the fight against insurgency. So they are willing to adopt as soon as everything goes global.
How did you fund this training platform? And is the training free?
The project was initially self-funded. As it progressed, several of my former military colleagues recognised its potential and contributed resources to support its development and growth. More recently, the project has begun attracting interest from government and other stakeholders, who are exploring opportunities to support its wider adoption. We are optimistic that this engagement will help expand the project’s reach and make its solutions accessible to a broader community of security professionals.
How do you apply your cybersecurity knowledge in fintech, where you currently work?
My on-field knowledge in the air-ground communications control tower has come in handy, especially regarding the importance of including everyone. Most people don’t necessarily know what they think they know.
My knowledge helps me identify realistic threat patterns for colleagues. I make them understand that even having your email address compromised can go a long way in bringing financial ruin to a company and its customers. So I always advocate for two-factor authentication, and email verification is as paramount as ever.
