"Two-Thirds of Security Pros Have Burnt Out in Past Year"

Security researchers at Promon have discovered that two-thirds of cybersecurity professionals have suffered burnout over the past year due to work-related stress.  The researchers polled over 300 information security pros at this year’s Black Hat Europe expo in London to better understand the mental health of those working in the industry.  The researchers noted that of those who reported burnout, the largest group (50%) cited workload as their biggest source of stress.  The researchers found that 51% of responding cybersecurity professionals are working more than four hours per week over their contracted hours, with nearly a fifth working more than 10 hours over.  The researchers noted that the next biggest sources of stress cited by respondents were management issues (19%), difficult relationships with colleagues (12%), inadequate access to the required tools (11%), and being underpaid (7%).  The researchers stated that although mental health is becoming less taboo, it remains off-limits for many professionals.  Nearly two-fifths (37%) of respondents said they didn’t feel comfortable talking about it with their employer, while a quarter (26%) claimed their workplace does not offer sufficient mental health support.  A further 21% said they don’t even know if their employer offers any support.  The researchers noted that over two-fifths (41%) of those polled said they have considered moving jobs in the past year as a result of burnout.  That’s bad news for an industry already struggling with skills shortages.

Infosecurity reports: "Two-Thirds of Security Pros Have Burnt Out in Past Year"