Charlie mcmurdie biography
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You may recall Julian Assange and WikiLeaks, and the freedom of speech domain groups—primarily Anonymous—who started launching attacks on organisations under the banner of “we have a right for our voice to be heard”.
“That’s one thing—but when they started knocking over organisations like PayPal or Mastercard and putting them out of service, which caused real damage.
“So, in those early days—mainly because other incidents weren’t being reported—we saw a lot of denial-of-service (DoS) attacks taking down organisations.
She offers unparalleled insight into cyber policing, online criminality, and risk management in a hyper-connected world.
In this exclusive interview with Champions Speakers, Charlie explores today’s most pressing cyber threats and shares her expert perspective on defending against them.
Q: Ransomware continues to dominate headlines—but what makes it such a persistent and damaging threat for businesses today?
Charlie McMurdie: “It’s how ransomware has developed and become far more sophisticated—that’s what really causes significant harm to businesses.
Pay your money now.”
“I clearly remember the early days when they were even using our police logo. There was a massive shift, with more people using their own kit—their personal laptops, phones—and a big increase in remote working.
“We saw a huge rise in attacks and data harvesting. Now that remote working is more common, it has definitely opened more doors for them.
With over 30 years in law enforcement, she played a pivotal role in developing and leading the UK’s national cybercrime capabilities.
A trailblazer in her field, Charlie draws on her distinguished policing career to advise international governments and private sector organisations on tackling evolving digital threats. It’s about mindset—people who are keen to stay match-fit, to keep learning, to maintain their curiosity and interest.
“Technology moves so quickly that if you’re good at one thing today and stop there, you’ll quickly fall behind.
We’d just set up the original cybercrime unit in law enforcement—the Police Central e-Crime Unit (PCeU)—and attackers were using our logo in those fake notices, saying people had to pay the PCeU. If you look at the attackers, they often operate as organised networks. We need to share intelligence, collaborate with the best people, and build networks that allow us to understand what’s happening out there.
But then you dig deeper and see whose data was in that database—say, Charlie McMurdie, for instance.
“And if that individual uses the same password for a seemingly insignificant site—like a social media platform or an online shop selling toilet rolls—as they do for their work email, then suddenly, that data becomes very valuable.
So, we didn’t have a full picture of the scale.
“But then some very visible attacks started happening. Remote working, when done properly and with the right security protocols in place, can be a great enabler.
“The problems come when people don’t follow the proper processes. They might not have adequate security, antivirus software, or they’re not using the correct company setup or systems.
“Let me give a simple example—we’ve seen breaches where, at first glance, it’s unclear why attackers would even bother stealing data from that particular company.
It’s a team effort. They’ll effectively check CVs and recruit based on skills.
“We need to mirror that approach. As head of Law Enforcement National Cyber of the Police Central e-Crime Unit, Charlie was tasked with creating a system that would allow for quick intelligence sharing across various groups to curb the rapidly rising instances of cybercrime.
She holds an honorary fellowship at the University of Warwick’s Cyber Centre, has interviewed and presented on various radio and TV shows and is a knowledgeable speaker on cybercrime and emerging risks.
With an extensive background in security as a police officer and consultant, she provides engaging addresses about emerging technology and how it can help secure communications systems against cyber attacks.
Charlie holds an Honours Bachelor of Science degree in Criminology and Policing Science from the University of Portsmouth.
As a keynote speaker, Charlie is widely respected for her work which has helped shape the way governments and businesses approach cybercrime prevention.
When organisations are hit with this kind of attack, it can feel like a rabbit in the headlight’s moment— “What do we do now?”
“I remember, back in the day, ransomware was quite straightforward.
Charlie Mcmurdie Keynote Speaker
Charlie Mcmurdie is a highly experienced cybercrime detective with over 30 years of service in the police and security industry.
People use the same credentials across multiple platforms, and that gives cybercriminals a foothold.”
Q: With modern technologies entering the market almost daily, how must cybersecurity teams evolve to remain resilient and effective against emerging threats?
Charlie McMurdie: “Everything is now connected to our networks, and every day there’s a new piece of technology or a new development—both in terms of defensive tools and in the tools being developed by attackers.
“So, the question becomes: how do we stay match-fit to deal with the kinds of cyberattacks and technologies we’re facing?
“I think the key is getting the right people in place.
It was referred to as high-tech crime, digital crime, or simply fraud.
“There was a real reluctance to talk about data theft or customer losses—it was all kept very quiet.