Dagim Abebe
Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at AXUM SEC Technology PLC
Professional Background
Dagim Abebe is Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at AXUM SEC and a Mobile Application, Software, and Network Security Tester at INSA (Information Network Security Agency), Ethiopia's national cyber security agency.
In his role at INSA, Dagim performs critical security assessments on mobile applications, software systems, and network infrastructure for government and financial institutions. He identifies vulnerabilities that could compromise national security and helps fix them before attackers can exploit them.
Role as CTO at AXUM SEC
As Co-Founder and CTO, Dagim leads the technical vision and architecture of the AXUM SEC platform. His responsibilities include:
Technical Leadership Dagim sets the technical direction for the platform, making key decisions about architecture, technology stack, and security standards. He ensures that AXUM SEC is built on a solid, scalable foundation.
Software Development He developed the SWAG backend system for AXUM SEC and contributed to the initial frontend development for both the HUNTER and COMPANY portals. His hands-on development ensures the platform is not just well-designed but also well-built.
Security Architecture His background as a penetration tester ensures that security is baked into every layer of the platform. He understands attack vectors and builds defenses accordingly.
Technical Advisory He advises the founding team on technology decisions, risk assessment, and development priorities. His dual perspective as both a security expert and a developer is invaluable.
A Rare Combination
Most security researchers cannot build platforms. Most developers cannot break systems. Dagim can do both.
This rare combination of offensive security and software engineering makes him uniquely qualified to be CTO of a cybersecurity platform. He understands what makes systems vulnerable and what makes them secure.
Technical Expertise
- Mobile application security testing (iOS and Android)
- Software security assessment
- Network penetration testing
- Full-stack software development
- System architecture and design
- Backend development (Node.js, Python)
- Security architecture and threat modeling
Leadership Philosophy
Dagim believes that a CTO must be both a strategist and an engineer. He believes in leading by building, not just by delegating. He also believes that security cannot be an afterthought—it must be built into the system from the first line of code.
"A CTO who cannot code cannot lead engineers. A security leader who cannot break systems cannot protect them."
Beyond Work
When not leading technical development or testing systems, Dagim mentors young Ethiopians interested in cyber security and software engineering. He believes that talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. He works to create opportunities for the next generation of Ethiopian technical talent.