01
Board and executive advisory
Make cyber risk understandable, set clear accountability and focus investment where it counts.
- Board briefings and risk oversight
- Cyber strategy and governance
- Technology and M&A due diligence
BARRY COATESWORTH FCIIS CISSP
Clear thinking.
Confident decisions.
Stronger resilience.
Independent cyber security advice for boards, leaders and organisations protecting what matters most. Intelligence trained. Boardroom proven.
profile // classification: open
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ORIGINNational Security
DISCIPLINECyber Security
TENURE30+ years
SECTORSGovernment · Finance · Energy · CNI
AWARDCyber OSPAs Lifetime Achievement
STATUSOpen to enquiries
$
30+
Years across intelligence, security and executive leadership
150
Strong teams led across financial services and critical infrastructure
£100m+
Budgets overseen, with supplier contracts to £5m
2022
Cyber OSPAs Lifetime Achievement Award
01 / EXPERTISE
The right advice. At the moments that matter.
Practical counsel that connects security, business priorities and the decisions leaders need to make.
02
Security leadership
Seasoned leadership for organisations building, changing or strengthening their security function.
- Interim and fractional CISO
- Security target operating models
- Transformation and team development
03
Critical infrastructure and resilience
Protect essential services across complex operational, technology and supplier estates.
- IT and operational technology security
- Incident readiness and exercises
- Supply chain and third party risk
04
Assurance and emerging risk
Turn obligations into proportionate controls, clear evidence and a plan that holds up to scrutiny.
- ISO 27001, DORA and NIS2
- Post quantum cryptography readiness
- AI security requirements
02 / THE PERSON BEHIND BINARY ICON
From intelligence. To the boardroom.
Barry began his career in the British Army Intelligence Corps, working in cryptanalysis. That analytical discipline, and a clear understanding of how adversaries think, still shapes everything he does.
Over 30 years he has led security across government, financial services, insurance, energy and critical national infrastructure. As a former Group CISO and senior advisor, he turns complex cyber and operational risk into decisions boards can act on.
He has authored national security standards, writes regulation that shapes how financial firms and pension providers protect data, and leads on post quantum and AI security requirements.
FCIIS
Fellow, Chartered Institute of Information Security
CISSP
Certified Information Systems Security Professional
Published author
The Psychology of Social Engineering, peer reviewed
National advisory
Cyber Essentials Scheme (DSIT), POST, IAAC, CAGI
03 / SELECTED EXPERIENCE
Perspective earned in demanding environments.
GOVERNMENT AND DIGITAL PUBLIC SERVICES
Money and Pensions Service
Security advisory and governance for the Pensions Dashboards Programme, including authorship of its published Code of Connection security standard.
ENERGY AND CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE
Iberdrola / ScottishPower
Offshore wind security, international assurance, operational resilience and cyber incident leadership.
INTERNATIONAL CONSULTING
Guidehouse
EMEA cyber security practice leadership across strategy, governance, transformation and operational resilience, including DORA.
FINANCIAL SERVICES AND INSURANCE
JLT Group · Vanquis Bank
Group CISO and interim security leadership, building governance, operating models and executive risk reporting.
UTILITIES AND NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE
SSE · Centrica / British Gas
Security leadership across energy operations, technology risk and national smart energy programmes.
Career experience is shown for context. Named organisations do not imply endorsement of Binary Icon.
THE APPROACH
Understand the risk. Challenge the assumptions. Make the decision.
01 / UNDERSTAND
Start with your organisation, its objectives and the services it must protect.
02 / PRIORITISE
Weigh the evidence and isolate the risks, dependencies and choices that really matter.
03 / ACT
Define practical actions, clear ownership and assurance that progress is real.
04 / SPEAKING AND COMMENTARY
A considered voice. A practical view.
Keynotes, panels and executive briefings across the UK, US, Middle East and Europe, including Infosecurity Europe, CISO 360 Congress, RANT Forum and Kisaco Research.
Enquire about speakingCyber risk in the boardroom
Turning technical complexity into business decisions and meaningful oversight.
Protecting essential services
Resilience, OT and the realities of securing interconnected infrastructure.
The psychology of the con
Social engineering, adversary behaviour and why clever people get fooled.
Leading through a cyber incident
Command, communication and sound judgement when the pressure is on.
05 / MEDIA AND WRITING
In print. In the press. On the record.
IN THE MEDIA
Lifetime Achievement Award at the Cyber OSPAsGuidehouse press release · December 2022
Honoured for a lifetime in cyber securityHomeland Security Today · Feature
Infosecurity Europe Advisory CouncilShaping Europe’s largest security conference programme
Pensions Dashboards Code of ConnectionPensions Age · Coverage of the national security standard
Presentations and slide decksSlideShare archive
WRITING
The Psychology of Social EngineeringCyber Security: A Peer Reviewed Journal · Vol 6, No 3 · PDFPAPER
When Two Revolutions Meet: the cyber security reckoning of AI and quantum computingArticle · LinkedIn
Unpacking the Cyber Security Risks of Artificial IntelligenceArticle · LinkedIn
Waking Up Determined: mental health and resilience in cyber securityArticle · LinkedIn
EU Medical Device Regulation and Cyber SecurityArticle · LinkedIn
The Conscience of a HackerArticle · LinkedIn
All articles on LinkedIn
06 / START A CONVERSATION
What needs your attention?
For advisory work, leadership support or speaking, contact Barry directly.
bjc@binaryicon.comBASED IN LONDON · INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE