Cybersecurity is a demanding and challenging field; It's complex and requires constant vigilance, creativity, and problem-solving skills. Cybersecurity professionals regularly face making difficult decisions under intense pressure with the potential for long-term effects on the business. Over time, this stress can weigh on cybersecurity pros and potentially cause "burnout" among employees and long-term psychological effects.
?Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It can affect anyone, but it is especially prevalent among cybersecurity professionals who deal with high-stakes situations, complex threats, and a shortage of skilled talent. Burnout can manifest itself in various ways, such as:
- ?Feeling tired, drained, or overwhelmed
- Losing interest or motivation in work
- Becoming cynical, irritable, or detached
- Having difficulty concentrating or making decisions
- Experiencing physical symptoms such as headaches, insomnia, or illness
- Developing negative coping habits such as substance abuse, isolation, or overwork
?Burnout can have severe consequences for both individuals and organisations. It can impair productivity, quality, and innovation and increase the risk of errors, breaches, and incidents. It can also affect employee retention, engagement, satisfaction, personal health, well-being, and relationships.
?Therefore, cybersecurity professionals and their employers must recognise the signs of burnout and take proactive steps to prevent and cope with it. Here are some tips and strategies I have seen used in the past to help:
- Promote work-life balance:?Cybersecurity professionals (in fact, everyone) should set healthy boundaries between work and personal life and avoid working long hours, weekends, or holidays unless necessary. Taking regular breaks, vacations, and time off to recharge and relax is so important. Employers should respect and support these boundaries and provide flexible work arrangements, such as remote work, when possible and ideally not contact employees outside of work hours.?? Some countries even have this as a legal requirement now.
- Leverage technical tools:?Cybersecurity professionals should use specialised tools and solutions that can help them automate, streamline, and simplify their tasks, such as threat intelligence and incident response platforms. These tools can reduce the workload, improve efficiency, and enhance security outcomes. Employers should invest in these tools and provide adequate training and support.
- Seek professional help:?Cybersecurity professionals should not hesitate to seek professional help if they feel overwhelmed, depressed, or anxious. They can consult a mental health counsellor or therapist who provides guidance, support, and coping skills. Employers should encourage and facilitate access to these services and create a culture of openness and acceptance around mental health issues.? I know many employers now provide a service like this, which is fantastic.
- Build a supportive network:?Cybersecurity professionals should cultivate a supportive network of colleagues, peers, mentors, and friends who can offer advice, feedback, and emotional support. They can also join professional associations, communities, and events to network, learn, and share best practices with others in the field. Employers should foster a collaborative and inclusive work environment and provide opportunities for team building and social interaction.
- Pursue personal growth:?Cybersecurity professionals should pursue personal growth and development by learning new skills, acquiring new certifications, or exploring new domains. This can help them stay updated, motivated, and challenged and increase their career opportunities and prospects. Employers should support and reward these efforts and provide clear and realistic career paths and goals for their employees.
- Exercise and Nature: The benefits of exercise and nature have been well-documented for many years.?? Even a 20-minute daily walk can boost mental and physical health.?? I know security professionals or anyone in IT (generalisation, I know) aren’t great at this, but I promise you will reap the rewards if you try.
- Do something different: Sometimes, you need to do something different.?? At the end of most days, I game for a while.?? It allows me to zone out, fire gazing, as they used to call it, and order my mind and thoughts so that I can close out stressful days, put them to one side and go into my home life in a positive, stress-free mind.?? For some people, it is running; for others, it’s meditation. Just do something different to transition from work to home life and help put that stress aside.
Cybersecurity Professionals: How to Collaborate and Cooperate as a Team
Cybersecurity is not a solo endeavour but a team effort that requires collaboration and cooperation among different roles, functions, and departments. Working as a team allows you to ‘share the load’ and reduce stress and burnout.??? So, adopt a team-first approach to help yourself as well as others.
I know that sometimes working as a team can pose some challenges, such as:
- Communication gaps: different levels of technical expertise, language proficiency, or cultural background can create misunderstandings, confusion, or conflicts.
- Role ambiguity: Cybersecurity professionals may have unclear or overlapping responsibilities, expectations, or authority, leading to duplication, inefficiency, or frustration.
- Resource constraints: who doesn’t need more resources? None of us have enough time, budget, or personnel, which can affect our ability to perform tasks, meet deadlines, or deliver results.
- Competing priorities: Cybersecurity professionals may have different or conflicting priorities, creating tension, disagreement, or trade-offs.
Therefore, teams need to learn to foster a culture of collaboration and to avoid or resolve any of the above issues that may arise. ??We are all adults and professionals; let us put our differences aside and create a positive, lower-stress environment by supporting each other.
Here are some tips and strategies to help:
- Establish clear roles and expectations: have clear roles and expectations and understand the roles and expectations of your teammates.? Look at how teammates can complement and support each other. Employers should communicate and document these roles and expectations and provide regular employee feedback and recognition.
- Improve communication and coordination: communicate and coordinate effectively and efficiently with your teammates.? Share only relevant information, knowledge, and insights and seek input, feedback, and advice from others. Employers should facilitate and encourage these communication and coordination activities and provide the necessary infrastructure and support.
- Manage resources and priorities: Be wise and realistic and align the team's and the organisation's goals. Optimise processes, workflows, and tools and leverage each other’s capabilities. If you are overwhelmed, look to your team to assist you. Employers should allocate and distribute these resources and priorities fairly and transparently and monitor and adjust them as needed.
- Resolve conflicts and differences: respectfully, constructively, and collaboratively resolve disputes and differences. Embrace diversity and inclusion and appreciate each other, your skills, and experiences.? You’re a team; help each other, build each other up, and don’t tear each other down. One’s success is everyone's success. Employers should mediate and intervene in conflicts and differences and promote a culture of trust, respect, and empathy.
?I’ll repeat it: cybersecurity is a team sport, and teamwork is crucial to success for everyone.
Cybersecurity is rewarding and exciting but can also be stressful and exhausting. Cybersecurity professionals and their employers can prevent and cope with burnout by following these tips and strategies and ensuring a healthy and productive work experience, meaning employees feel valued, enjoy their work, and want to be productive, and employers get engaged employees who are keeping the businesses safe.
