New research has found that stress, cyber threats and overwork are causing cybersecurity professionals to want to quit their jobs in droves.
BlackFrog’s findings show that almost a quarter (24%) of security chiefs are actively looking for a job change, and over half (54%) are not yet at the stage of resigning, but are open to new opportunities.
Overwhelmingly, stress and demands are the top factors considered by security professionals looking to leave their jobs – 93% say these are the main reasons for their decision to potentially leave.
Burnout is reaching new heights
The report also found that CISOs and IT security decision-makers are also working overtime to keep their businesses safe, with almost every respondent (98%) saying they work more hours than contractually required.
Of those who exceed their hours, 15% work more than 16 extra hours a week in an attempt to defend against near-constant ransomware and malware attacks. The average security professional was found to work just over an extra day (9 hours) per week.
The reasons for the increased stress reflect the changing threat landscape security professionals face: 42% of respondents expressed concerns about threat actors’ ability to integrate AI tools into attack vectors, and a quarter of respondents also cited data exfiltration as their top concern. 37% said the threat of ransomware and malware is a significant source of stress.
When it comes to dealing with stress, there are some positives. Sport and physical activity are recognized as a way to deal with stress and supplement overall health, with 86% saying they make time to be active. Sleep, on the other hand, is harder to achieve – only three-quarters (75%) say they get enough time to get some shut-eye.
Despite working significant amounts of overtime, 82% of respondents said they set a clear boundary between work and private life. The downside, however, is that just under half (45%) used drugs or alcohol to cope with work pressures, and 69% said they were more unsociable.
Help is offered by senior business management, with many offering practical support in dealing with stress at work, including flexible working hours (64%) and hybrid or remote working in their role (62%).
However, security leaders still believe that more can be done to manage stress and stop them from leaving, with bigger budgets for security tools (41%) and prioritization of time for things that really matter (40%), considered extra measures to relieve stress and burden.