What was once highly classified and rarely, if ever, publicly acknowledged, is now simply another announcement of the appointment of a senior government bureaucrat, albeit the head of MI5. The BBC reports that the current deputy director general of the Service, Andrew Parker, has been named to succeed the current director general, Sir Jonathan Evans, who is stepping down in April. In a sign of the times, the BBC report includes some personal insights into Mr. Parker’s career background. The report reveals that he has worked for MI5 for 30 years, he led the security services' response to the 2005 London attacks, and he is “a keen ornithologist.”

In her announcement of Mr. Parker’s selection to be the new head of MI5, Home Secretary Theresa May said, “I am very pleased to announce the appointment of Andrew Parker as the new DG [director general] of the Security Service, a role to which he brings a wealth of experience and knowledge.

"Under his leadership, the Service will continue to stay ahead of global and domestic threats to our national security and further develop its reputation as one of the world's most effective security agencies."