British Cybercrime Fighter Gavin Webb Honored with OBE for Role in LockBit Takedown

British Cybercrime Fighter Gavin Webb Honored with OBE for Role in LockBit Takedown

Look, this isn’t just another honours list. This one feels different. It’s about a shift—something real happening in how we fight crime in the digital age. Gavin Webb, 51, a senior officer with the National Crime Agency (NCA), has been awarded an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2026 New Year Honours. Not for being a hacker. Not for writing code. For leading a cross-border takedown of LockBit ransomware—something that’s actually changed the game.

Here’s the thing: Webb didn’t crack servers or write malware detection scripts. He’s not a coder. His background? Traditional crime. Firearms. Drugs. Immigration. That’s what he’s spent his career doing. And yet, here he is—on the front lines of a cyber war that’s now threatening hospitals, factories, schools, and government systems.

That’s the real story. The one that matters.

Webb was the central figure in Operation Cronos—the UK’s go-to operation for coordinating a global strike against LockBit. By 2023 and 2024, LockBit had become the dominant ransomware-as-a-service platform. It wasn’t just popular. It was everywhere. About a quarter of all ransomware attacks globally were linked to it. And the damage? Billions of dollars lost. Thousands of organizations disrupted. From a hospital that couldn’t operate a dialysis unit to a factory that shut down for days because of a ransom demand.

Now, you might think that kind of operation would be all about tech—hacking, infiltration, zero-day exploits. But it’s not. It’s about timing. It’s about trust. It’s about making sure every country, every agency, is on the same page.

Webb was the glue. He made sure the US, Canada, Australia, and several European partners were aligned on intelligence, timelines, legal steps. He didn’t just send messages—he managed the flow of information, kept things moving, and stopped things from going off track. One misstep in cyber ops? It can blow up the whole thing. A single delay? A single misunderstanding? That’s how a ransomware group can reorganize, hide, or even go underground. Webb didn’t just coordinate—he prevented that.

He didn’t go in and hack the servers. That’s what the cyber teams do. But he made sure the world knew when to act, where to focus, and how to act without breaking the law. That’s leadership. That’s real power.

And the result? LockBit’s command-and-control systems were severed. Its leader, Dmitry Khoroshev, was isolated. His digital backbone was taken down through coordinated international pressure. The group lost its ability to issue ransoms or distribute malware. It’s not just a win—it’s a turning point.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. LockBit’s new versions? They’re not just targeting Windows. They’re going after Linux and VMware ESXi—stuff that runs in enterprise data centers. That’s where banks, hospitals, and power grids keep their data. These aren’t just annoying bugs. These are threats that could bring down critical systems. Experts are warning we’re in a race with a rapidly evolving threat. And Webb’s work shows a new path: not isolated cyberattacks, but united, intelligence-driven, legally sound cooperation.

That’s not something you get from a tech guy in a lab. That comes from someone who understands how to build trust across borders, how to manage risk, how to keep things moving without blowing up the operation.

And that’s exactly what Webb did.

The honours list isn’t just about him. It’s about a team. Kay Taylor, 50, got a CBE for her role in the EncroChat investigation—tracking encrypted criminal networks that are still yielding results. Fiona Nicolson, 61, received an MBE for uncovering financially motivated organized crime, leading to hundreds of millions of pounds being returned to victims.

Samantha De Souza, the Home Office’s cyber and economic crime lead, got an OBE for public service. And Lorna Armitage and Andrea Cullen—founders of Capslock—were honored with MBEs for pushing diversity and inclusion in cybersecurity. That’s not just good for morale. It’s essential. Because if we’re going to fight cybercrime, we need a workforce that reflects the world we live in.

Graeme Biggar, Director General of the NCA, said it best: “These honours are well deserved by the officers, who have truly gone above and beyond to support victims and protect the public from the most serious and harmful crime.”

That’s not just a statement. It’s a shift in mindset. Cybercrime isn’t just a tech issue anymore. It’s a public safety issue. A national security issue. And it demands people who can work across disciplines, across borders, across cultures.

So when you see Gavin Webb’s name on the honours list, don’t just see a man with a title. See a man who proved that sometimes, the most powerful weapon in fighting cybercrime isn’t a keylogger or a firewall. It’s a person who can bring people together, make decisions under pressure, and keep the mission on track.

That’s leadership. That’s real impact. And that’s why he’s getting an OBE.