Lindy Cameron

Lindy Cameron
CB OBE
Lindy Cameron in 2024
British High Commissioner to India
Incumbent
Assumed office
April 2024
Prime MinisterRishi Sunak
Sir Keir Starmer
Preceded byAlexander Ellis
Chief executive officer
National Cyber Security Centre
In office
2020–2024
Preceded byCiaran Martin
Personal details
BornBelfast, Northern Ireland
Alma materBalliol College, Oxford
Tufts University

Lindy Cameron CB OBE is a British civil servant and diplomat, serving from April 2024 as British High Commissioner to India.[1] From 2020 to 2024 she was chief executive officer at the National Cyber Security Centre, and before that Director-General in the Northern Ireland Office and the Department for International Development.[2]

Early life and education

Cameron was born in Belfast.[3] Her father was a founding member of the Corrymeela Community Peace and Reconciliation Centre.[4] She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Oxford, where she studied modern history.[5] She matriculated to Balliol College in 1991, before starting a course in international relations at Tufts University as a Fulbright scholar.[6][7] After graduating, Cameron joined McKinsey & Company, where she worked as a management consultant until 1998.[8]

Research and career

In 1998, Cameron joined the Department for International Development (DFID).[9] She served as head of both the DFID Country Offices in Iraq and Afghanistan.[4][10] She was awarded an Order of the British Empire for her services to Iraq in 2004.[9] Cameron was seconded to the Cabinet of the United Kingdom in 2007, where she worked on Trader and Development in Africa. She moved to the Foreign Office to lead the Helmand Provincial Reconstruction Team.[9][10] After completing a year long programme at the Royal College of Defence Studies, Cameron returned to DFID in 2011, where she was appointed director of the Middle East. She spent two years in this role before being promoted to director general,[7] overseeing a £4 billion budget.[9] She then transferred to the Northern Ireland Office as director-general in 2019 for one year.[1]

National Cyber Security Centre

The National Cyber Security Centre in London

Cameron was appointed chief executive officer of the National Cyber Security Centre in 2020, becoming the second person to hold such a position at the NCSC.[11][12][13][14] She succeeded the founding CEO, Ciaran Martin. Martin was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath in the 2020 Birthday Honours for his services to cyber security[15] and Cameron received the same honour for her services to international development.[16][17]

In March 2021, during Cameron's inaugural address as CEO, she warned of the UK's need to "be clear-eyed about Chinese ambition in technological advancement", citing China's "hostile activity in cyberspace".[18]

In June 2021 she spoke at the Royal United Services Institute. Cameron said that ransomware attacks were the major threat to United Kingdom cyber security.[19] She noted that it is possible to obtain ransomware as a service (RaaS) for either a flat fee or for a share of the profits.[20]

Lindy spoke at the 12th annual Tel Aviv Cyber Week in June 2022, identifying ransomware as the primary cyber threat to global security, which is both pervasive and quickly evolving.[21]

Diplomatic appointment

In April 2024, it was announced that Cameron would replace Alexander Ellis as the High commissioner from the United Kingdom to the Republic of India that month.[1]

In July 2024, Lindy Cameron along with her husband Air Marshal Sean Reynolds attended Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant wedding festivities. Both wore Indian Attire designed by an Indian designer for all the events as posted on Lindy Cameron’s X profile.

References

  1. ^ a b c "Change of British High Commissioner to India: Lindy Cameron". GOV.UK. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
  2. ^ "NCSC Announcement". NCSC.gov.uk. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  3. ^ "DFID tweet". Twitter. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  4. ^ a b Morbin, Tony (6 August 2020). "Who are the new heads at NCSC and MI6?". IT Security Guru. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  5. ^ "NIO's Lindy Cameron to succeed Ciaran Martin as head of the NCSC". www.newstatesman.com. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  6. ^ officer, Pub (20 August 2020). "Alumna is to become CEO of National Cyber Security Centre". Balliol College, University of Oxford. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  7. ^ a b "Lindy Cameron – Networks of evidence and expertise for public policy". www.csap.cam.ac.uk. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  8. ^ "Former DfID and FCO official Lindy Cameron to lead National Cyber Security Centre". Civil Service World. 3 August 2020. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  9. ^ a b c d Davies, Elwyn. "Closing session: The Future of Donor Agencies in Africa | The CSAE Blog". Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  10. ^ a b "Lindy Cameron". GOV.UK. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  11. ^ "Queen's welcomes new National Cyber Security Centre CEO, Lindy Cameron CB OBE". www.qub.ac.uk. 5 November 2020. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  12. ^ CISOMAG (7 August 2020). "Meet Lindy Cameron! Soon to be the First Woman CEO of NCSC". CISO MAG | Cyber Security Magazine. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  13. ^ "New head of GCHQ cyber security agency announced". The Independent. 29 July 2020. Archived from the original on 14 June 2022. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  14. ^ "NCSC announces Lindy Cameron as new CEO". www.ncsc.gov.uk. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  15. ^ Strasburg, Jenny (5 May 2020). "U.K. Cybersecurity Chief Pivots to New Coronavirus Threats". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  16. ^ officer, Pub (6 January 2020). "New Year Honours 2020". Balliol College, University of Oxford. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  17. ^ "Lindy CAMERON | Order of the Bath | The Gazette". www.thegazette.co.uk. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  18. ^ Gordon, Robert Wren (30 March 2021). "UK Warns Against China Security Tech". IPVM. Retrieved 26 August 2021.(Subscription required.)
  19. ^ "NCSC CEO warns that ransomware is key cyber threat". www.ncsc.gov.uk. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  20. ^ "Ransomware is key cyber threat facing UK – cybersecurity boss". County Times. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  21. ^ "Ransomware is the biggest global cyber threat. And the attacks are still evolving" Danny Palmer, ZDNET, June 28, 2022. Retrieved July 21, 2022.