Paul Chichester
Director of Operations at the UK National Cyber Security Centre.
Paul Chichester fronted the NCSC's exposure of CHOSEN BRICK on 15 September 2026, Windows spyware Iranian state hackers use against dissidents and journalists, some of whom live in the UK.
Last refreshed: 12 October 2026
Why does the NCSC warn Iranian spyware endangers lives?
Timeline for Paul Chichester
Named as Paul Chichester
Cybersecurity: Threats and Defences: Mentioned in: UK, US and Dutch expose Iranian spywareBackground
Paul Chichester is Director of Operations at the UK's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). The NCSC says he has spent more than 25 years in UK Government intelligence and security work, across offensive and defensive cyber roles.
Chichester was appointed MBE in 2005 for pioneering cyber work and CMG in the 2024 King's Birthday Honours.
In September 2026 Chichester was the public face of the NCSC release on CHOSEN BRICK, issued with US and Dutch partners. The NCSC assesses that Iran almost certainly uses cyber operations to support repression of perceived threats to the regime, and it warned that stolen files posted on pro-Iranian leak sites endanger victims' physical safety.