….Says cybersecurity breakthroughs help safeguard digital future

By Adesina Wahab

Eric Jhessim, a Ghanaian cybersecurity expert, has said cybersecurity is not just about technology, but about safeguarding trust and other virtues that help to keep the society in stable condition,

This is just as he said his goal is to leverage on Artificial Intelligence, AI and quantum computing to protect critical systems.

Speaking in a chat with our reporter, he noted, “My goal is to leverage AI and quantum computing to protect critical systems and make the digital world safer.

“Cybersecurity isn’t just about technology, it’s about safeguarding trust, stability and the very fabric of our societies. It is a vision that resonates strongly with global imperatives such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 9, which emphasizes industry, innovation, and infrastructure.”

In today’s hyper-connected world, a cyberattack can destabilize an economy, cripple critical infrastructure, or compromise the data of millions in a matter of seconds. At the forefront of the global effort to prevent such crises stands Ghanaian-born cybersecurity architect, Eric Jhessim, whose pioneering integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing is transforming the way the world protects its most vital systems. From his early beginnings in Ghana to his rise as a respected global thought leader, Jhessim’s journey is one of vision, innovation, and an unrelenting commitment to building digital trust on a global scale.

Raised in Ghana, Jhessim developed a fascination for securing networks at a time when cybersecurity was still in its infancy across much of Africa. This passion led him to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, graduating in 2009. His final-year research focused on developing simulation models for advanced firewall configurations, a project that improved threat detection by fifteen percent and laid the foundation for his future in safeguarding complex digital ecosystems.

Determined to deepen his expertise, he later earned a Master of Science in Cybersecurity from the University of Delaware in 2024. His graduate research in an innovative vulnerability assessment framework for legacy systems using virtual machine environments addressed one of the most pressing security challenges of our time: how to protect outdated yet mission-critical infrastructure from increasingly sophisticated attacks.

Jhessim’s professional impact reached new heights during his tenure as Deputy Chief Information Security Officer at Zenith Bank Ghana Ltd between 2017 and 2023. In this role, he led a comprehensive overhaul of the bank’s security infrastructure, achieving full compliance with ISO 27001 and NIST standards and remediating ninety percent of critical vulnerabilities in just three months.

His leadership fortified the bank’s defenses, improving system resilience by twenty percent through advanced penetration testing and strengthening global transfer security through the SWIFT Alliance Customer Security Framework. These achievements cemented his reputation as a security strategist capable of delivering results on a national and international scale.

Beyond his executive work, Jhessim has emerged as a respected voice in global cybersecurity discourse. In November 2022, he appeared as a panelist at the Cybersecurity Forum on Managed Security Services, a session that has since drawn more than a thousand online views. His scholarly contributions are equally significant. He has authored multiple peer-reviewed publications in leading journals, including research on AI-driven communication models for patients with neurodegenerative diseases and on quantum-enhanced cybersecurity frameworks for blockchain-enabled financial systems. His works such as Machine Learning-Driven Anomaly Detection for Real-Time Cyber Threat Mitigation in Digital Financial and Crypto-Asset Ecosystems and the Quantum-Enhanced Risk Assessment for Securing Blockchain-Enabled Financial Systems are helping shape the future of security in emerging technology landscapes.

As a member of the editorial boards of the International Journal of Cyber Security and the International Journal of Research in Computer Applications and Information Technology, Jhessim has reviewed twelve academic manuscripts, influencing the direction of next-generation cybersecurity research. He is also deeply committed to mentorship, serving as an expert judge for PhD presentations at the University of Delaware in 2024, where he encouraged interdisciplinary collaboration and nurtured emerging talent.

Jhessim’s expertise is reinforced by a formidable array of professional certifications, including the CISSP, CISM, CEH, AWS Certified Cloud Solutions Architect, and multiple ISO/IEC credentials spanning AI management systems, risk governance, and incident response. These credentials, coupled with accolades such as the Obligation of an Engineer Certificate, underscore both his technical mastery and his dedication to professional integrity.

“My goal is to leverage AI and quantum computing to protect critical systems and make the digital world safer,” Jhessim says. “Cybersecurity isn’t just about technology, it’s about safeguarding trust, stability and the very fabric of our societies.” It is a vision that resonates strongly with global imperatives such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 9, which emphasizes industry, innovation, and infrastructure.

From the university halls of Kwame Nkrumah University of science and Technology to the research centers of the United States, Eric Jhessim’s career reflects the rise of a new generation of cybersecurity leaders and visionaries who blend technical expertise with a mission-driven approach to securing our digital future. His AI-powered, quantum-ready cybersecurity frameworks are not merely responding to the threats of today; they are building the foundations for a safer, more resilient tomorrow.