Most of the CISOs Are Stressed Out and Putting Companies at Risk

The world of cybersecurity gets more intriguing every day and it is getting worsen. Work from anywhere and the relentless shift to cloud computing services have accelerated cybersecurity risks in companies. As a result, CISOs and security heads need to assess how to navigate this ever-evolving cybersecurity terrain.

Ransomware attacks will continue to rise in 2023. In today’s threat landscape no one’s systems are safe and there’s no signs of cybercriminals slowing down these efforts. Humans are the weakest link when it comes to security.

After surveying CISOs of small to midsize businesses, Cynet discovered 65% report their ability to protect their organization is compromised because of work overload, with nearly 100% admitting they need additional resources

The report says after surveying chief information security officers (CISO) at small to midsize businesses with security teams of five employees or less to better understand their levels of work-related stress and how their mental health is impacting their work life and personal life. Cynet found 94% of CISOs report being stressed at work, with 65% admitting work-related stress issues are compromising their ability to protect their organization. Among the CISOs surveyed, 100% said they needed additional resources to adequately cope with current IT security challenges.

"The results from our mental health survey are devastating but it’s not all doom and gloom. Our research found that CISOs know exactly what they need to reduce stress levels: more automated tools to manage repetitive tasks, better training, and the ability to outsource some work responsibilities," says expert. 

"One of the most eye-opening insights from the report was the fact that more than 50% of the CISOs we surveyed said consolidating multiple security technologies on a single platform would decrease their work-related stress levels."

Finally, we expect the top cybersecurity priority for 2023 will be addressing the ransomware threat in a variety of ways, from upleveling cyber skills by working with the security team to the right security tools, like multi-factor authentication (MFA) and training courses. We have also realised that zero-trust architecture’s importance will grow as a means to validate access and improve security, and expect to see a massive increase in cybersecurity budgets beyond levels thought possible mere decades ago.