Ireland’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is due to get a new director following the appointment of Richard Browne.

Browne was appointed as the centre’s director by the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan and the Minister of State for Communications and the Circular Economy, Ossian Smyth.

Browne was appointed following an open international competition, run by the Public Appointments Service. He has served as acting director of the NCSC since last July. He joined the centre in 2014, and since then he has led the development of Ireland’s national cybersecurity policy. In 2020, he took on the role of deputy director of the National Security Analysis Centre (NSAC).

In the role of NCSC director, Browne will oversee its main functions, including the coordination and management of national cyber security incident response and building resilience against cyberattacks. He will also oversee the centre’s campaign on national situational awareness of cyber risks and threats.

His appointment comes at a pivotal time for Irish cybersecurity as a whole. The sector was left reeling when the HSE fell victim to a cyberattack last year, which caused widespread disruption to the healthcare system.

Most recently, the NCSC has had to issue a warning to Irish organisations in relation to the Log4j vulnerability. A flaw identified in Java-based utility Log4j could mean hackers could gain access to computer systems.

The Government has recently made efforts to amp up its national cybersecurity strategy, which is in place until 2024. It agreed a number of measures to support the continued development of the NCSC over the coming five years last July following a capacity review of the centre carried out by international cybersecurity experts.

The Government has agreed to increase the overall full time staffing complement of the NCSC to at least 70 over the next five years. It will recruit 20 staff initially by end of 2022, bringing total staff numbers to 45. There are currently open recruitment competitions for the position of principal cybersecurity specialist, while more open competitions will be held for other senior management posts in the coming weeks.

The Government also agreed that the general scheme of a bill will be prepared for its approval. This will establish the NCSC on a statutory basis and provide for related matters, including clarity around its mandate and role in relation to other actors in the cyber area.

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