Adrian Johnson
TLDR:
- Burnout among cyber security professionals in APAC is widespread and growing.
- Sophos survey shows consequences of burnout on individuals and organizations.
Burnout and fatigue among cyber professionals in the Asia-Pacific region are escalating, leading to increased risks for organizations. A recent report by cybersecurity firm Sophos highlighted that nine out of 10 employees in the region are impacted by burnout, attributed to factors like a lack of resources, alert fatigue, and increased threat activity. The consequences of burnout include more data breaches, employee apathy towards cyber duties, and turnover in the cyber workforce during a skills crisis. Research has shown that burnout in cybersecurity has been a longstanding issue, with a growing acknowledgment of the problem in the region.
The Sophos survey revealed that the problem is widespread and worsening, with 85% of companies reporting fatigue and burnout among cyber and IT professionals. In India, burnout rates were higher than the regional average, with 37% of organizations frequently experiencing the issue. The top causes of burnout in the region include a lack of resources, alert overload, and pressure from executive management. Individual cyber security performance is affected by burnout, as employees experience guilt, detachment, anxiety, and apathy towards their work. Organizations are also impacted, with reduced productivity, increased data breaches, and higher staff turnover attributed to burnout.
Employers in the region are responding to the burnout problem by providing stress counseling support services to IT and cybersecurity professionals, but there is a need for more proactive measures. Technologies like automation and artificial intelligence are seen as potential solutions to alleviate the causes of burnout. The report concludes that addressing fatigue and burnout is crucial to safeguarding employees and ensuring the capabilities of organizations in the Asia-Pacific region.
