Amid rising digital threats, the CyBlack Conference 2025 convened in Preston, uniting top voices in cybersecurity to chart the industry’s future and inspire the next generation of leaders.
Now in its fourth year, CyBlack has grown into the UK’s flagship gathering for Black professionals and aspiring talent in cybersecurity. This year’s theme, “Empowering the NextGen Leaders”, spotlighted inclusivity, skill development, and global collaboration as the sector undergoes rapid transformation.
Opening the conference, CyBlack Co-Founder and host, Simbiat Sadiq, said the event “champions inclusion, innovation, and leadership,” adding that it seeks to amplify underrepresented voices and spark bold ideas that will shape the cybersecurity frontier.
In her keynote, ISC2’s Director of Inclusive Strategies, Dwan Jones, underscored that “the future of cybersecurity isn’t just about technology, it’s about people,” pointing to new industry demands for AI literacy, adaptability, and leadership alongside technical expertise.
Cybersecurity expert Omorinsola Goriola warned of a “perfect storm” of cyber risks—ransomware, AI-driven attacks, and expanding cloud vulnerabilities—urging resilience and intelligence sharing: “No organisation wins alone.”
From academia, Dr. Folayo Aina of the University of Central Lancashire called for industry-aligned curricula and interdisciplinary programs to address the talent gap, while also identifying emerging roles such as Chief Trust Officers to embed security into corporate governance.
Other speakers included cybersecurity professional Morgan Nwaiku, who explored AI’s potential to transform threat anticipation, and Microsoft MVP Adedeji Awolesi, who demonstrated how developers can embed security into software design using GitHub’s inbuilt tools.
Dr. Omotola Efuwape, CyBlack Co-Founder and Senior Security Architect, who led an open dialogue on burnout in the profession, urged organisations to adopt sustainable practices and healthier work environments.
Beyond the talks, CyBlack showcased its growth impact. Since inception, the community has trained over 700 members, run 10 internship cohorts, supported more than 40 alumni into cybersecurity roles in 2025, and forged partnerships with Cisco, ISC2, Vivida, and AnyRUN. Its SOC Academy was also spotlighted, offering aspiring professionals hands-on experience in security operations.
In her closing remarks, Co-Founder Dr. Iretioluwa Akerele praised the community spirit driving CyBlack’s success: “Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.”
