Employee well-being has become a primary focus for many businesses. Even before the pandemic, the C-suite was acutely aware of how employee mental health impacts business outcomes. But for cybersecurity professionals, stress has always been a part of the job. A new survey revealed that one of the most concerning aspects of employee mental health is how it impacts cybersecurity programs and, more broadly, a business' ability to protect itself from cyberattacks.
CISOs and their teams appear to be taking the brunt of unmitigated work-related stress levels and it's affecting the entire organization. CISOs at small to midsize businesses with teams of five employees or fewer were surveyed to better understand how work-related stress is impacting CISOs – from their ability to do their job and lead their team to how it's affecting their own professional outlook and personal life. Here's what the survey results revealed. Among the CISOs surveyed, there was a distressing number of respondents suffering from work-related stress. According to the report, 94% of CISOs reported being stressed at work, with 65% confiding that work-stress levels compromised their ability to protect their organizations. More than 70% of the CISOs surveyed believed their stress levels were higher than their colleagues in other areas of the business.
The findings of the survey make it clear that work-related stress is having a significant impact on CISOs and their teams. This stress is not only affecting their ability to do their job, but also their personal lives. The impact of this stress on the cybersecurity program of an organization can be devastating. It is important for businesses to understand the importance of employee mental health and take steps to address the issue.