A new report from Bitdefender shows what’s happening in the cybersecurity industry right now . Analysts found that over 70% of cybersecurity professionals are working weekends to address security issues and concerns for their organization.
The survey involved 1,200 professionals, and two-thirds (64%) of them complained about the intense workload, expressed their dissatisfaction and stated that they plan to look for a new job in the next 12 months.
See also: Strengthening cybersecurity with “Risk Management”
The issue of burnout and job dissatisfaction was particularly acute among respondents in the UK. 81% said they often had to work weekends and 71% were looking for a new job. In Germany, 77.1% often work weekends and over three-quarters (76.6%) will look for a new job in the next 12 months. In the US, the figures were 70.2% and 62.2% respectively.
Continuous work on weekends can lead to serious burnout. Cybersecurity professionals who do not have sufficient time to rest and recharge may experience reduced productivity and creativity, which can negatively affect the quality of their work. In addition, due to fatigue, reduced performance and increased errors may be observed.
Lack of work-life balance can cause health problems, such as anxiety, depression and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The constant pressure and stress from working without breaks can have serious effects on mental and physical health.
Additionally, working continuously on weekends can negatively impact personal relationships. Professionals who work continuously may have less time for their family and friends, which can lead to alienation and problems in interpersonal relationships.
See also: Absence of women in 11% of cybersecurity teams
Cybersecurity professionals under… pressure
More than half (57%) of respondents said their organizations experienced a data breach or leak in the past 12 months, a 6% increase compared to Bitdefender's 2023 Cybersecurity Assessment Report.
The top three cyber threats were phishing/social engineering (33%), software vulnerabilities and/or zero-days (32.2%), and ransomware (29.3%).
The increased workload is largely due to these attacks.
Additionally, 96% of cybersecurity professionals said they are concerned about the impact of artificial intelligence on the threat landscape.
Security challenges related to cloud computing were also highlighted, with data breaches or leaks (43.6%) cited as the top concern for security professionals. This was followed by unauthorized access to cloud services (42.7%), misconfiguration of cloud storage (42.2%), and insecure APIs (37.9%).
See also: USA: Alarming decrease in job postings in cybersecurity
🔒 Protect your privacy with Proton VPN
Swiss VPN from the creators of Proton Mail — strict no-logs policy, strong encryption, and built-in NetShield that blocks ads, trackers, & malware.
- ✔ No-logs, based in Switzerland (except 14-Eyes)
- ✔ NetShield: blocks ads, trackers & malicious domains
- ✔ Covers all devices — free version available
The link is an affiliate link — SecNews may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. It does not affect the independence of our article writing.
Increased investments in cybersecurity
Despite concerns about cyberthreats and increased attacks, 94% of cybersecurity professionals were very confident in their organizations’ ability to respond to threats such as ransomware, phishing, and zero-days.
Additionally, 93% of professionals said their organization is likely to soon increase investment in proactive security, such as risk assessment, penetration testing, and red teaming exercises.
Source: www.infosecurity-magazine.com
