Cyberattacks on business employees who protect companies’ networks are causing them to reconsider their jobs and driving cybersecurity burnout and stress to all-time highs.
A new study by Mimecast shows just how stressful working in cyber security can be for people who deal with these incidents regularly. Most respondents reported that they feel more stressed by cyberattacks yearly, while another large percentage said their jobs get tougher with time.
As attackers launch increasingly sophisticated cyber-security breaches, the constant onslaught of incidents has also taken its toll. According to one survey a few years ago, 57 percent of respondents felt they would be very personally responsible if their company was breached.
Constant Pressure Causing Cybersecurity Burnout
With cybersecurity professionals under constant attack from hackers, ransomware, and other threats, companies need to give their cybersecurity teams the attention they need. If not, they risk losing valuable staff members who might otherwise be able to help them defend against these threats.
Cyber security teams are under stress and are burning out at an alarming rate, leaving them ill-prepared for tomorrow’s threats. The new study has found that the number of people working in cybersecurity roles is increasing at an alarming rate, but there are concerns that some of these workers could be losing their jobs because of cyber attacks. 
Cybersecurity teams face a pressure cook of ongoing attacks, disruptions, and burnout, making it harder to recruit and retain cybersecurity professionals. At a time when the need for IT security specialists is skyrocketing, nearly three out of four cybersecurity experts say attacks against their companies have either increased or remained the same in the last 12 months.
More than half of cybersecurity executives surveyed by Mimecast reported that the number of cyberattacks targeting their organization had either increased or stayed steady during the previous 12 months.
A third of security professionals who hackers attacked also reported experiencing more burnout-related absences after the incident. Furthermore, one-fourth of security managers reported difficulties hiring new employees when they were attacked.
Growing awareness about cybercrime is increasing the demand for companies to be prepared. Almost one-third of respondents from the survey conducted by Mimecast agreed they feel an increase in public scrutiny of their cybersecurity posture.
Despite these findings, Mimecast found that most organizations lack primary defenses against cyber attacks. When questioned about what additional resources they needed to protect themselves from cyber threats, nearly half of respondents said they required up-to-date anti-virus software. In addition, they improved IT awareness training for their end-users and employees.
Businesses Need to Invest in Cybersecurity & Support IT Teams
To avoid these problems, organizations must invest in developing and implementing their security strategy. They also need to ensure adequate resources to combat any potential threat effectively. In addition, organizations need to train and educate their staff, both within the organization and externally, about how to protect themselves against cybercrime.
Finally, they need to develop an effective incident response plan so that they know what to do if something goes wrong. According to Mimecast reports, attacks cause financial losses greater than $100,000. And nearly half of business leaders spend less than $550,000 on their cybersecurity budgets each year; one successful breach could wipe out 20 percent of their annual revenue.
Being accountable for something terrible happening when they already have an impossible job may be one reason why professionals are experiencing cybersecurity burnout and stress.