Anne Keist-Butler brings to the role over 30 years of experience working in national security. (file)
The UK appointed Anne Keast-Butler as the first female head of its cyber-espionage agency GCHQ.
Currently Deputy Director General of Britain’s domestic intelligence service, MI5, Kest-Butler will take up his new post in May, GCHQ said in a statement on Tuesday. She will replace outgoing director Sir Jeremy Fleming, who held the position for six years and said in January that he planned to step down.
His appointment comes at a sensitive time as the US and its allies grapple with the fallout from a series of intelligence leaks that surfaced online in recent days. GCHQ said she brings to the role over 30 years of experience working in national security, and was most recently responsible for operational, investigative and protective security work at MI5.
Kest-Butler gave some insight into the work the British government does at the “listening post”, saying that last year the agency “contributed critical intelligence to shape the West’s response to the illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine”. helped disrupt terrorist conspiracies; and worked tirelessly to tackle the ongoing threat of ransom-ware, the effects of which cost Britain dearly.”
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