Spies must be fluent in code, says MI6 boss
In her first speech as head of Britain’s Security Intelligence Service, MI6, Blaise Metreweli is to push for the need to invest in technology to tackle threats to UK security.
In pre-released remarks, the agency’s first-ever female head is set to say: “Mastery of technology must infuse everything we do. Not just in our labs, but in the field, in our tradecraft, and even more importantly, in the mindset of every officer.”
“We must be as comfortable with lines of code as we are with human sources, as fluent in Python as we are in multiple languages.”
The new M16 chief is also set to warn of hostile state actors, Russia in particular, who are trying to destabilize the UK from abroad using cyberattacks, spreading false information, and employing criminals remotely.
“The export of chaos is a feature, not a bug, in the Russian approach to international engagement, and we should be ready for this to continue until Putin is forced to change his calculus,” she will add.
Metreweli was appointed head of M16 – a role publicly known by the codename “C” – in June this year, becoming the first female head in the spy agency’s 116-year history.
She was previously head of the tech side of espionage – known as “Q” and depicted in the Bond movies as providing agents with exploding pens and Aston Martin cars equipped with ejector seats, machine guns, and rotating plates.
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In reality, however, Metreweli outlines that defenses are more likely to be found in computer code and cyber warfare – tools that enemies are using and which are likely to be exacerbated by AI.
M16 will need to master this technology to stay competitive in dealing with these types of threats.
As Charlotte Wilson, head of enterprise business at Check Point Software, puts it:, "This is MI6 saying out loud what security teams already know. Cyber conflict isn’t coming. It’s already here, and it doesn’t switch off.
She adds that the point about coding skills is telling: “Modern cyber defense is fast and automated, but it still comes down to people making decisions under pressure. We’re now seeing data exposed through everyday tools, including AI systems, where roughly one in thirty-five prompts carries a real risk of sensitive information leaking. Bad judgement causes more damage than bad code.”
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