Dr. Richard Horne CEO NCSC
Dr Richard Horne is a visionary leader in global cyber defence whose journey from academic excellence to the frontlines of national security embodies determination, intellect, and public service. With a PhD in mathematics and cryptography from Royal Holloway, University of London, Dr Horne transformed his passion for problem-solving into a distinguished career protecting nations and institutions from cyber threats. His early contributions helped shape the UK’s first national cyber security strategy, setting the stage for a new era of digital resilience.
Before taking the helm at the NCSC in 2024, Dr Horne was a trailblazer in both the private and public sectors—serving as Managing Director of Cyber Security at Barclays and later as Partner and Chair of Cyber Security at PwC UK. In these roles, he led major cyber incident responses, including the review of the Irish Health Service ransomware attack, earning deep respect across global industries. His leadership is marked by calm strength, strategic foresight, and a tireless belief that cybersecurity is not just a technology issue, but a shared human responsibility.
As CEO of the NCSC, Dr Horne continues to inspire the next generation of cyber professionals by advocating innovation, trust, and integrity. He champions collaboration across sectors, harnesses the power of AI for digital safety, and empowers organisations to embrace security as a source of strength, not fear. In a rapidly changing world, his voice is one of clarity, courage, and confidence—reminding us all that with wisdom and unity, we can build a safer, more resilient digital future.
National Cyber Security Center
Helping to make the UK the safest place to live and work online. We support the most critical organisations in the UK, the wider public sector, industry, SMEs as well as the general public. When incidents do occur, we provide effective incident response to minimise harm to the UK, help with recovery, and learn lessons for the future.
More specifically, the NCSC:
- understands cyber security, and distils this knowledge into practical guidance that we make available to all
- responds to cyber security incidents to reduce the harm they cause to organisations and the wider UK
- uses industry and academic expertise to nurture the UK’s cyber security capability
- reduces risks to the UK by securing public and private sector networks
History
Launched in October 2016, the NCSC has headquarters in London and brought together expertise from CESG (the information assurance arm of GCHQ), the Centre for Cyber Assessment, CERT-UK, and the Centre for Protection of National Infrastructure (which became the National Protective Security Authority, NPSA, in March 2023)
The NCSC provides a single point of contact for SMEs, larger organisations, government agencies, the general public and departments. We also work collaboratively with other law enforcement, defence, the UK’s intelligence and security agencies and international partners
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