Lindy Cameron

Lindy Cameron is a British civil servant and diplomat, serving from April 2024 as British High Commissioner to India. 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.

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

Research and career
In 1998, Cameron joined the Department for International Development (DFID). She served as head of both the DFID Country Offices in Iraq and Afghanistan. She was awarded an Order of the British Empire for her services to Iraq in 2004. 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. 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, overseeing a £4 billion budget. She then transferred to the Northern Ireland Office as director-general in 2019 for one year.

National Cyber Security Centre
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. 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 and Cameron received the same honour for her services to international development.

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".

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. 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.

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.

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.

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.