Annual Security Lecture 2026 by Richard Horne, CEO, NCSC

Richard Horne

Chief Executive Officer , National Cyber Security Centre

Richard Horne assumed the current position as CEO of the UK National Cyber Security Centre in October 2024. 

Before joining the NCSC, Richard was a Cyber Security Partner and Chair of the Cyber Security Practice for PwC UK, where he guided global boards and executives in shaping their cyber risk strategies and led responses to cyber breaches. Notably, he oversaw the production of the Post Incident Review for the Irish Health Service following the ransomware attack that disrupted healthcare services across Ireland in 2021. 

Prior to his time at PwC, Dr Horne served as the Managing Director of Cyber Security for Barclays PLC, where he was responsible for overseeing cyber security risk management across the Barclays Group. In 2011, he was seconded from Barclays to the UK Cabinet Office to help develop and implement the country's first national plan for cyber security, impacting both government operations and the wider economy. 

Richard holds a PhD in Mathematics from Royal Holloway, University of London. He has represented the UK on security matters to international organizations such as the OECD, the European Commission, and the International Standards Organisation. Richard also served on advisory boards for academic institutions and technology startups in the field of cyber security.