How Cybersecurity Burnout Hurts Organizations Not surprisingly organizations as a whole suffer in these situations. When cybersecurity professionals experience mental health issues their motivation can diminish. That makes them less likely to comply with security protocols and best practices.[5] In turn their companies become more vulnerable to cyberattacks — especially spear phishing attacks that are now specifically designed to target workers during the so-called afternoon slump when individuals are more likely to be distracted.
The more attacks the greater the pressure on the cybersecurity team. It’s a vicious cycle. Even if organizations can successfully stave off threats working cybersecurity staff to the point of burning out or cutting corners can backfire in other ways. In August 2022 Twitter’s former head of security made headlines with a whistleblower Whatsapp Mobile Number List lawsuit against the company for extreme egregious deficiencies in its cybersecurity program and for misleading its board of directors and regulators about cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
Granted Twitter is a unique company but there’s still a cautionary tale here for other organizations according to a Forrester blog.[8] Cybersecurity professionals are often hired with one mission in mind to improve an organization’s overall security posture. If they feel they’re unable to do so — either because the daily grind of work no longer brings them joy or because their efforts to make improvements are stopped in their tracks — they’re less likely to go quietly.