Australian Cybersecurity Pros Report Rising Job Stress

Stressful cyber roles make it more difficult to recruit and retain cyber skills.

Sixty-four percent of Australian cybersecurity professionals say their role is more stressful now than it was five years ago, according to a new survey by global professional association ISACA.

The 2024 State of Cybersecurity, which surveyed 1,800 global cyber professionals, found that 85% of local respondents blamed stress on an increasingly complex threat landscape, compared with 81% of global respondents.

The report also revealed:

• 48% of Australians cited a low budget as a factor, compared with 45% globally.
• 50% said worsening hiring and retention challenges contributed to their stress, versus 45% globally.
• 35% nominated a lack of prioritisation of cybersecurity risks, compared with 34% globally.

Meanwhile, the 63% of survey respondents in Australia who reported difficulties retaining qualified cyber talent named the main reason as high work stress levels (60% compared with 46% globally).

SEE: Sophos report finds cyber security burnout is high across APAC

Only 35% of respondents in Australia named insufficiently trained staff as a main contributor to job stress, which was significantly less than the 45% who consider this as a problem across other global markets.

Discover why underfunding, understaffed teams, and an aging workforce are raising alarms in Australia's cybersecurity sector—read more on how these challenges are shaping the future of the industry.

Written by Ben Abbot