{{Short description|British civil servant and diplomat}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Lindy Cameron | image = Lindy Cameron 2024 (cropped).png | caption = Lindy Cameron in 2024 | honorific_suffix = CB OBE | birth_place = Belfast, Northern Ireland | alma_mater = Balliol College, Oxford<br>Tufts University | office = British High Commissioner to India | term_start = April 2024 | predecessor = Alexander Ellis | prime_minister = Rishi Sunak<br>Sir Keir Starmer | office1 = Chief executive officer<br>National Cyber Security Centre | predecessor1 = Ciaran Martin | successor1 = Richard Horne | term_end1 = 2024 | term_start1 = 2020 | honorific_prefix = Her Excellency | spouse = Sean Reynolds }}
'''Lindy Cameron''' {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|CB|OBE}} is a British civil servant and diplomat, serving from April 2024 as British High Commissioner to India.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Change of British High Commissioner to India: Lindy Cameron |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/change-of-british-high-commissioner-to-india-lindy-cameron |access-date=2024-04-14 |website=GOV.UK |language=en}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web|title=NCSC Announcement|url=https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/news/new-ceo-lindy-cameron|access-date=12 October 2021|website=NCSC.gov.uk|language=en}}</ref>
== Early life and education == Cameron was born in Belfast.<ref>{{Cite web|title=DFID tweet|url=https://twitter.com/dfid_uk/status/1210841944991174657|access-date=23 June 2021|website=Twitter|language=en}}</ref> Her father was a founding member of the Corrymeela Community Peace and Reconciliation Centre.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Morbin|first=Tony|date=6 August 2020|title=Who are the new heads at NCSC and MI6?|url=https://www.itsecurityguru.org/2020/08/06/who-are-the-new-heads-at-ncsc-and-mi6/|access-date=16 June 2021|website=IT Security Guru|language=en-US}}</ref> She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Oxford, where she studied modern history.<ref>{{Cite web|title=NIO's Lindy Cameron to succeed Ciaran Martin as head of the NCSC|url=https://www.newstatesman.com/spotlight/cyber/2020/07/nios-lindy-cameron-succeed-ciaran-martin-head-ncsc|access-date=16 June 2021|website=www.newstatesman.com|language=en}}</ref> She matriculated to Balliol College in 1991, before starting a course in international relations at Tufts University as a Fulbright scholar.<ref>{{Cite web|last=officer|first=Pub|date=20 August 2020|title=Alumna is to become CEO of National Cyber Security Centre|url=https://www.balliol.ox.ac.uk/news/2020/august/alumna-is-to-become-ceo-of-national-cyber-security-centre|access-date=16 June 2021|website=Balliol College, University of Oxford|language=en}}</ref><ref name="csap.cam.ac.uk">{{Cite web|title=Lindy Cameron – Networks of evidence and expertise for public policy|url=https://www.csap.cam.ac.uk/network/lindy-cameron/|access-date=16 June 2021|website=www.csap.cam.ac.uk}}</ref> After graduating, Cameron joined McKinsey & Company, where she worked as a management consultant until 1998.<ref>{{Cite web|date=3 August 2020|title=Former DfID and FCO official Lindy Cameron to lead National Cyber Security Centre|url=https://www.civilserviceworld.com/professions/article/former-dfid-and-fco-official-lindy-cameron-to-lead-national-cyber-security-centre|access-date=22 June 2021|website=Civil Service World|language=en}}</ref>
== Research and career == In 1998, Cameron joined the Department for International Development (DFID).<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Davies|first=Elwyn|title=Closing session: The Future of Donor Agencies in Africa {{!}} The CSAE Blog|url=https://blogs.csae.ox.ac.uk/2017/03/future-of-donor-agencies-in-africa/|access-date=16 June 2021|language=en-GB}}</ref> She was head of the DFID Country Offices in Iraq and Afghanistan.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=Lindy Cameron|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/people/lindy-cameron|access-date=16 June 2021|website=GOV.UK|language=en}}</ref> She was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for her services to Iraq in 2004.<ref name=":1" /> 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.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> 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,<ref name="csap.cam.ac.uk"/> overseeing a £4 billion budget.<ref name=":1" /> She then transferred to the Northern Ireland Office as director-general in 2019 for one year.<ref name=":3" />
===National Cyber Security Centre=== thumb|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.<ref>{{Cite web|date=5 November 2020|title=Queen's welcomes new National Cyber Security Centre CEO, Lindy Cameron CB OBE|url=https://www.qub.ac.uk/News/Allnews/QueenswelcomesnewNationalCyberSecurityCentreCEOLindyCameronCBOBE.html|access-date=16 June 2021|website=www.qub.ac.uk|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=CISOMAG|date=7 August 2020|title=Meet Lindy Cameron! Soon to be the First Woman CEO of NCSC|url=https://cisomag.eccouncil.org/lindy-cameron-ceo-of-ncsc/|access-date=16 June 2021|website=CISO MAG {{!}} Cyber Security Magazine|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=29 July 2020|title=New head of GCHQ cyber security agency announced|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/national-cyber-security-centre-gchq-head-lindy-cameron-a9642051.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220614/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/national-cyber-security-centre-gchq-head-lindy-cameron-a9642051.html |archive-date=14 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=16 June 2021|website=The Independent|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=NCSC announces Lindy Cameron as new CEO|url=https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/news/new-ceo-lindy-cameron|access-date=16 June 2021|website=www.ncsc.gov.uk|language=en}}</ref> She succeeded the founding CEO, Ciaran Martin. Martin was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in the 2020 Birthday Honours for his services to cyber security,<ref>{{Cite news|last=Strasburg|first=Jenny|date=5 May 2020|title=U.K. Cybersecurity Chief Pivots to New Coronavirus Threats|language=en-US|work=Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-k-cybersecurity-chief-pivots-to-new-coronavirus-threats-11588671002|access-date=22 June 2021|issn=0099-9660}}</ref> and Cameron received the same honour for her services to international development.<ref>{{Cite web|last=officer|first=Pub|date=6 January 2020|title=New Year Honours 2020|url=https://www.balliol.ox.ac.uk/news/2020/january/new-year-honours-2020|access-date=16 June 2021|website=Balliol College, University of Oxford|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Lindy CAMERON {{!}} Order of the Bath {{!}} The Gazette|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/notice/3454543|access-date=16 June 2021|website=www.thegazette.co.uk}}</ref>
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."<ref>{{cite news |last=Gordon |first=Robert Wren |date=30 March 2021 |title=UK Warns Against China Security Tech |url=https://ipvm.com/reports/uk-prc-tech |work=IPVM |access-date=26 August 2021}}{{subscription required|s}}</ref>
In June 2021, she spoke at the Royal United Services Institute. Cameron said ransomware attacks were the major threat to the United Kingdom's cybersecurity.<ref>{{Cite web|title=NCSC CEO warns that ransomware is key cyber threat|url=https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/news/rusi-lecture|access-date=22 June 2021|website=www.ncsc.gov.uk|language=en}}</ref> She noted that it is possible to obtain ransomware as a service (RaaS) for either a flat fee or a share of the profits.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ransomware is key cyber threat facing UK – cybersecurity boss|url=https://www.countytimes.co.uk/news/national/19371888.ransomware-key-cyber-threat-facing-uk---cybersecurity-boss/|access-date=16 June 2021|website=County Times|language=en}}</ref>
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.<ref>[https://www.zdnet.com/article/ransomware-attacks-are-the-biggest-global-cyber-threat-and-still-evolving-warns-cybersecurity-chief/ "Ransomware is the biggest global cyber threat. And the attacks are still evolving"] Danny Palmer, ZDNET, June 28, 2022. Retrieved July 21, 2022.</ref>
=== 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.<ref name=":3" />
== References == {{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Cameron, Lindy}} Category:Living people Category:Alumni of Balliol College, Oxford Category:Civil servants from Belfast Category:Tufts University alumni Category:Graduates of the Royal College of Defence Studies Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Companions of the Order of the Bath Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire Category:Cybercrime in the United Kingdom Category:20th-century British women civil servants Category:21st-century British women civil servants Category:20th-century British civil servants Category:21st-century British civil servants Category:Women civil servants from Northern Ireland Category:High commissioners of the United Kingdom to India