Confidence Staveley is Africa’s most celebrated female Cybersecurity Leader, Talent Developer,
Blockchain Security Professional, Global Speaker and Inclusion advocate. She has achieved numerous professional certifications and industry recognitions for her outstanding work.
“APIs is the waiter of the internet’ – essentially taking the user’s order and acting as the intermediary for delivery.“
Confidence Staveley
Confidence is an official member of the Forbes Technology Council, an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs, and technology executives. She has won the Cybersecurity Woman of the Year.
Confidence’s superpower? A deep understanding of cyber security fused with great communication skills; enabling her to communicate cyber security best practices in a relatable and engaging way with no jargon, to audiences of all types. Little wonder she has been nicknamed “The Relatable CyberSecurity Queen”.
“Good, better, best, I will never rest, until my good is better and my better best“
Confidence Staveley
Award in 2021 and 2022, IFSEC Global Top Influencer in Security &; Fire 2021, Top 50 women in Cybersecurity Africa, Meridian Global Leadership Award, etc.
She is an alumnus of some of the most prestigious fellowships across the world such as the 2021 Obama Foundation African Leaders, International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP), etc.
Confidence has spoken at dozens of international conferences, including the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Councils Meeting in Europe and North America, The World Bank Digital Development Seminar, etc.; a testament to her global thought leadership and influence.
She is the Founder CyberSafe Foundation, an NGO improving inclusive and safe digital access in Africa; and Co-Founder of MerkleFence, a web3 security consulting company.
API Security for White Hat Hackers
APIs have evolved into an essential part of modern applications, making them an attractive target for cybercriminals. Written for security professionals and developers, this comprehensive guide offers practical insights into testing APIs, identifying vulnerabilities, and fixing them.
With a focus on hands-on learning, this book guides you through securing your APIs in a step-by-step manner. You’ll learn how to bypass authentication controls, circumvent authorization controls, and identify vulnerabilities in APIs using open-source and commercial tools. Moreover, you’ll gain the skills you need to write comprehensive vulnerability reports and recommend and implement effective mitigation strategies to address the identified vulnerabilities. This book isn’t just about hacking APIs; it’s also about understanding how to defend them. You’ll explore various API security management strategies and understand how to use them to safeguard APIs against emerging threats.
By the end of this book, you’ll have a profound understanding of API security and how to defend against the latest threats. Whether you’re a developer, security professional, or ethical hacker, this book will ensure your APIs are secure and your organization’s data is protected.
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
This talk provides a peek into a present and near future where AI is not just a defensive tool, but a powerful weapon in the hands of cybercriminals. Confidence Staveley paints a picture of an increasingly automated cyber threat landscape, where AI-driven attacks challenge the very foundations of current cybersecurity defenses.
The talk begins by exploring how AI has changed cybersecurity by enabling faster threat detection, predictive analytics, and automated responses, these same capabilities can be exploited by the bad guys as well. She uses powerful storytelling skills to detail how AI is being weaponized to conduct highly sophisticated attacks, such as AI-generated phishing campaigns that are difficult to distinguishable from legitimate communications or create malware that continuously evolves to avoid detection by traditional security tools.
A particularly thought-provoking aspect of the talk is the discussion on the potential for AI to independently find and exploit vulnerabilities in systems, evolving independently from its creators. This raises the unsettling possibility of AI-driven attacks that are a new form of digital life with its own agenda—a scenario where the hacker is not a person but an autonomous entity.
If AI becomes the hacker, traditional defense mechanisms will likely become obsolete
How can we initiate a global conversation on cybersecurity and gender issues and bring perspectives from different stakeholders to a common platform to:
Look at the relevance of gender disparities/inequalities in cybersecurity and define the need to focus on actionable measures to close the gender workforce and awareness gap;
Highlight current good practices on how women are being included in cybersecurity roles across sectors;
Discuss the various challenges faced by women as cybersecurity professionals and internet users and possible ways to address them;
Outline the advantages of including women in the cybersecurity workforce; and
Define what governments, civil society, and the private sector can do to make this space more diverse, inclusive, and safer.
Given the rapid growth in cyber-attacks and digital crime vis-à-vis the current acceptance of digital trading, this session will seek to answer the following questions;
How effective are our cyber security measures? How can data protection impact the digital economy? Cybercrime is one impediment to a thriving digital economy. How can professionals utilize international, regional, and private sector cooperation to address the cybercrime pandemic? How could developing countries build capacities, including skills, to use new and emerging technologies such as big data analytics and artificial intelligence to grow the digital economy?
In our technology-shaped world where “seeing is not believing”, digital trust is the foundation that ensures progress and innovation continue. It’s not just about keeping data secure or complying with regulations; it’s about creating a digital environment that people can truly rely on. This talk will argue that rebuilding digital trust means designing technology that feels safe, experiences that resonate, and solutions that empower everyone. Because without digital trust, the future of technology loses its potential to meaningfully transform our world.
Confidence Staveley has garnered significant praise for her speaking engagements, earning accolades for her ability to demystify complex cybersecurity topics and engage a wide range of audiences. Known for her exceptional communication skills, she effectively translates intricate cybersecurity concepts into understandable, jargon-free insights, making her talks both accessible and impactful.
At events such as the ISC2 at George Mason University and the PCI Security Standards Council meetings, Staveley has been lauded for her insightful and engaging presentations. Attendees and organizers frequently highlight her ability to deliver high-quality content that is both educational and inspiring. For example, a representative from the PCI Security Standards Council noted, “Your keynote was so great! We loved hearing from you and meeting you. Terrific job!”.
Staveley’s participation in diverse forums, including the Black Girls in Cyber Refresh Summit and the Global Conference on Cyber Capacity Building, underscores her commitment to promoting inclusion and diversity within the cybersecurity field. Her presentations often focus on empowering underrepresented groups and encouraging more women to pursue careers in cybersecurity.
Her recognition as the “Cybersecurity Woman of the World” in 2023 further solidifies her status as a leading voice in the industry. This award highlights her significant contributions and serves as an inspiration for aspiring cybersecurity professionals worldwide.
Overall, Confidence Staveley’s speaking engagements are well-received for their clarity, relevance, and motivational impact, making her a sought-after speaker in the cybersecurity community.
