Tag Archives: security team

Operational Burnout: The Hidden Risk in Cyber Defense Today

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The Problem at Hand

Burnout is epidemic among cybersecurity professionals. A 2024‑25 survey found roughly 44 % of cyber defenders report severe work‑related stress and burnout, while another 28 % remain uncertain whether they might be heading that way arXiv+1. Many are hesitant to admit difficulties to leadership, perpetuating a silent crisis. Nearly 46 % of cybersecurity leaders have considered leaving their roles, underscoring how pervasive this issue has become arXiv+1.

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Why This Matters Now

Threat volumes continue to escalate even as budgets stagnate or shrink. A recent TechRadar piece highlights that 79 %of cybersecurity professionals say rising threats are impacting their mental health—and that trend is fueling operational fragility TechRadar. In the UK, over 59 % of cyber workers report exhaustion-related symptoms—much higher than global averages (around 47 %)—tied to manual monitoring, compliance pressure, and executive misalignmentdefendedge.com+9IT Pro+9ACM Digital Library+9.

The net result? Burned‑out teams make mistakes: missed patches, alert fatigue, overlooked maintenance. These seemingly small lapses pave the way for significant breaches TechRadar.

Root Causes & Stress Drivers

  • Stacked expectations: RSA’s 2025 poll shows professionals often juggle over seven distinct stressors—from alert volume to legal complexity to mandated uptime CyberSN.

  • Tool sprawl & context switching: Managing dozens of siloed security products increases cognitive load, reduces threat visibility, and amplifies fatigue—36 % report complexity slows decision‑making IT Pro.

  • Technostress: Rapid change in tools, lack of standardization, insecurity around job skills, and constant connectivity lead to persistent strain Wikipedia.

  • Organizational disconnect: When boards don’t understand cybersecurity risk in business terms, teams shoulder disproportionate burden with little support or recognition IT Pro+1.

Systemic Risks to the Organization

  • Slower incident response: Fatigued analysts are slower to detect and react, increasing dwell time and damage.

  • Attrition of talent: A single key employee quit can leave high-value skills gaps; nearly half of security leaders struggle to retain key people CyberSN+1.

  • Reduced resilience: Burnout undermines consistency in basic hygiene—patches, training, monitoring—which are the backbone of cyber hygiene TechRadar.

Toward a Roadmap for Culture Change

1. Measure systematically

Use validated instruments (e.g. Maslach Burnout Inventory or Occupational Depression Inventory) to track stress levels over time. Monitor absenteeism, productivity decline, sick-day trends tied to mental health Wikipedia.

2. Job design & workload balance

Apply the Job Demands–Resources (JD‑R) model: aim to reduce excessive demands and bolster resources—autonomy, training, feedback, peer support Wikipedia+1. Rotate responsibilities and limit on‑call hours. Avoid tool overload by consolidating platforms where possible.

3. Leadership alignment & psychological safety

Cultivate a strong psychosocial safety climate—executive tone that normalizes discussion of workload, stress, concerns. A measured 10 % improvement in PSC can reduce burnout by ~4.5 % and increase engagement by ~6 %Wikipedia. Equip CISOs to translate threat metrics into business risk narratives IT Pro.

4. Formal support mechanisms

Current offerings—mindfulness programs, mental‑health days, limited coverage—are helpful but insufficient. Embed support into work processes: peer‑led debriefs, manager reviews of workload, rotation breaks, mandatory time off.

5. Cross-functional support & resilience strategy

Integrate security operations with broader recovery, IT, risk, and HR workflows. Shared incident response roles reduce the silos burden while sharpening resilience TechRadar.

Sector Best Practices: Real-World Examples

  • An international workshop of security experts (including former NSA operators) distilled successful resilience strategies: regular check‑ins, counselor access after critical incidents, and benchmarking against healthcare occupational burnout models arXiv.

  • Some progressive organizations now consolidate toolsets—or deploy automated clustering to reduce alert fatigue—cutting up to 90 % of manual overload and saving analysts thousands of hours annually arXiv.

  • UK firms that marry compliance and business context in cybersecurity reporting tend to achieve lower stress and higher maturity in risk posture comptia.org+5IT Pro+5TechRadar+5.

✅ Conclusion: Shifting from Surviving to Sustaining

Burnout is no longer a peripheral HR problem—it’s central to cyber defense resilience. When skilled professionals are pushed to exhaustion by staffing gaps, tool overload, and misaligned expectations, every knob in your security stack becomes a potential failure point. But there’s a path forward:

  • Start by measuring burnout as rigorously as you measure threats.

  • Rebalance demands and resources inside the JD‑R framework.

  • Build a psychologically safe culture, backed by leadership and board alignment.

  • Elevate burnout responses beyond wellness perks—to embedded support and rotation policies.

  • Lean into cross-functional coordination so security isn’t just a team, but an integrated capability.

Burnout mitigation isn’t soft; it’s strategic. Organizations that treat stress as a systemic vulnerability—not just a personal problem—will build security teams that last, adapt, and stay effective under pressure.

 

 

* AI tools were used as a research assistant for this content, but human moderation and writing are also included. The included images are AI-generated.

5 Fun-tastic Fall Activities for Information Security Teams

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Fall is in the air, and along with pumpkin spice lattes and cozy sweaters, it’s also the perfect time for information security teams to step out of their digital shells and engage with other departments in their organizations. While security is serious business, there’s no harm in adding a dash of fun to foster better collaboration and understanding. Here are five light-hearted yet factual activities to spice up your information security team’s fall:

1. Cybersecurity Pumpkin Carving Contest

Unleash your inner artist and host a cybersecurity-themed pumpkin carving contest. Encourage teams from all departments to carve out their favorite security tools, icons, or even infamous cyber villains. Not only does this activity tap into everyone’s creative side, but it also sparks conversations about the importance of protecting the digital realm while having a gourd time!

2. “Escape the Phishing” Maze

Turn the concept of an escape room into an interactive cybersecurity challenge. Create a “phishing” maze where participants need to navigate through a series of puzzles and scenarios related to online security. This activity not only educates participants about the dangers of phishing attacks but also gets them working together to solve problems, fostering team spirit.

3. Crypto Treasure Hunt

Transform your office space into a treasure hunting ground by organizing a crypto-themed treasure hunt. Provide clues related to encryption, decryption, and security best practices that lead teams from one clue to another. Not only does this activity promote learning about cryptography, but it also encourages friendly competition among departments.

4. Security Awareness Fair

Set up a “Security Awareness Fair” in your office’s common area. Each department can have its own booth showcasing their approach to security. From IT’s “Spot the Vulnerability” game to HR’s “Password Strength Analyzer,” everyone gets to display their security prowess in a fun and informative way. This fair promotes cross-departmental engagement and ensures that everyone learns a thing or two about cybersecurity.

5. Cyber Movie Night

Host a cybersecurity-themed movie night with popcorn and cozy blankets. Screen movies like “Hackers,” “WarGames,” or even cybersecurity documentaries. After the movie, encourage lively discussions about what’s accurate and what’s exaggerated in the portrayal of hacking and security. It’s a laid-back way to bridge the gap between tech-savvy and non-technical teams.

Remember, the goal of these activities isn’t just to have fun, but to build bridges between information security teams and other departments. By approaching cybersecurity engagement with a light-hearted touch, you’re more likely to break down barriers, share knowledge, and create a culture of collaboration that lasts beyond the fall season. So, gear up for a season of learning, laughter, and interdepartmental camaraderie!

 

* Just to let you know, we used some AI tools to gather the information for this article, and we polished it up with Grammarly to make sure it reads just right!

 

Brent’s Interview About His Most Recent Book

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Introduction

In today’s digital age, the importance of cyber-security cannot be overstated. With threats evolving at an unprecedented rate, organizations need to be proactive in their approach to safeguarding their assets. “We Need To Talk: 52 Weeks To Better Cyber-Security” by L. Brent Huston offers a comprehensive guide to navigating the complex world of cyber-security. We sat down with the author to delve deeper into the inspiration, content, and significance of this book.

Interview

Q1: What inspired you to write “We Need To Talk: 52 Weeks To Better Cyber-Security”?

A1: As a virtual CISO and 30+ year security practitioner, I know how important it is to keep the security team engaged with one another, encourage open discussions, and do continual learning. I wrote the book to give security teams a good basis for these discussions every week for a year. Covering the basics and letting the team discuss sticking points and areas for improvement has led my clients to identify some interesting trends and rapidly mature their security programs. I think, literally, “We Need To Talk”. We need it as practitioners, individuals, teams, and organizations. This is a stressful, detail-oriented, rapid-change business, and talking helps nearly everyone involved.

Q2: Why did you feel it was essential to provide such a comprehensive view of cyber-security?

A2: So much of what we do is complex and touches multiple areas of our organization that we must bring the basics to each. I picked the topics for discussion in the book to address the high-level, technical, and procedural controls that almost every organization needs. I threw in some of the more tenacious topics I’ve encountered in my career and a few curve balls that have bitten us over the years. Information security and risk management are broad-spectrum careers, and we need a broad spectrum of topics to help security teams be successful.

Q3: Can you elaborate on how the structure of the book facilitates this year-long journey?

A3: This is a great question. The book idealizes a weekly security team meeting where the team discusses one of the topics and why it is relevant and then works through a series of questions to help them hone and refine their security program. The book includes a topic for each week, appropriate background information about that topic, and a set of questions for discussion by the team. As I piloted the book with my clients, it became clear that these were ultra-powerful discussions and led to some amazing insights. I knew then that I had to write and put the book out there to benefit security teams and practitioners.

Q4: How did leveraging AI tools shape the content and structure of the book?

A4: I used several AI tools to help generate the content of the book. It was written programmatically, in that I wrote some programming to leverage an AI backend to generate the questions and background information for each topic. I then adjusted the code and moderated the output until I got the book I wanted. It took a while, but it was fantastic when completed. I wanted to experiment with writing with AI tools, and since I knew the book I wanted to create had a specific format and content, it seemed like a good experiment. Ultimately, I learned much about working with AI and using Grammarly for editing and self-publishing. I have been absolutely thrilled with the response to the book and how the experiment turned out. In fact, it gave birth to another project that I am just beginning and will pave the way for some exciting new breakthroughs in how to work with AI tools in the coming years.

Q5: What is the one core message or lesson from your book that you’d like security teams to take away?

A5: The one takeaway I would have them consider is that discussion among the security team can really help a lot of the team members and the organization at large. We need to talk more about the work we do, both inside our teams and to the other teams we work with across the enterprise. The more we discuss, the more likely we can support each other and find the best solutions to our common problems and issues. Implementing the strategies, tactics, and insights we discover along the way might just be the change we need to make information security more effective, easier to manage, and even more fun!

Summary

L. Brent Huston’s “We Need To Talk: 52 Weeks To Better Cyber-Security” is more than just a book; it’s a roadmap for security teams to navigate the intricate maze of cyber-security. Through structured discussions, the book aims to foster collaboration, understanding, and growth among security professionals. With the unique blend of AI-generated content and Huston’s vast experience, this book promises to be an invaluable resource for those in the field.

 

* Just to let you know, we used some AI tools to gather the information for this article, and we polished it up with Grammarly to make sure it reads just right!

 

Child Pornography Resource Materials for Businesses

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Sadly, as an information security professional, we are sometimes engaged with clients who either suspect or have discovered the presence of child pornography in their computing environment. Another way that such materials come to our attention, is during pen-testing or incident response work, we may discover the materials on a system and be forced to bring the materials to the attention of law enforcement.

In many cases, clients ask us why we are required to notify law enforcement, and/or why they are required to notify law enforcement about this material. Perhaps your organization has struggled with this in the past. In any case, we hope the following information helps organizations understand the US legal requirements for handling such materials. (If you live outside of the US, please consult local legal assistance for your laws and procedures.)(NOTE: MSI is not providing legal advice of any kind, consult your attorney or council for legal advice. This material is simply meant to be a pointer for education. MSI is NOT qualified to offer legal advice under any circumstance.)

The Department of Justice lists the following federal statutes for online child pornography:

  • 18 U.S.C. § 2251- Sexual Exploitation of Children (Production of child pornography)
  • 18 U.S.C. § 2251A- Selling and Buying of Children
  • 18 U.S.C. § 2252- Certain activities relating to material involving the sexual exploitation of minors(Possession, distribution and receipt of child pornography)
  • 18 U.S.C. § 2252A- certain activities relating to material constituting or containing child pornography
  • 18 U.S.C. § 2256- Definitions
  • 18 U.S.C. § 2258A- Reporting requirements of electronic communication service providers and remote computing service providers
  • 18 U.S.C. § 2260- Production of sexually explicit depictions of a minor for importation into the United States

A summary of these laws is that it is the federal law that mandates this duty to report specifically requires that “electronic communication service providers” report child pornography. (18 USC § 2258A. Reporting requirements of electronic communication service providers and remote computing service providers.) An “electronic communications service” means “any service which provides to users the ability to send or receive wire or electronic communications.” The term “electronic communication,” for purposes of the reporting requirement, means “any transfer of signs, signals, writing, images, sounds, data, or intelligence of any nature transmitted in whole or in part by a wire, radio, electromagnetic, photoelectronic or photooptical system that affects interstate or foreign commerce.” All of which is to say that both the business/employer that provides the computer or phone system over which the data is communicated, as well as the IT company that helps the employer maintain those systems, are covered by this law. A business or IT service company ignores child porn at its peril. Failing to report the information to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children violates the Section 2258A reporting requirements. Deleting the material might make the company an accessory to the underlying crime of possessing the information in the first place. Making copies of the material and then transmitting the copies, except at the direction of law enforcement officials or as required by section 2258A, also runs afoul of the laws proscribing possession of child pornography. A first violation of Section 2258A carries a penalty of up to a $150,000 fine. A second violation can be penalized by up to $300,000.

A full summary of other elements of Child Pornography laws from the Department of Justice website is here.

According to the Department of Justice website, to report an incident involving the production, possession, distribution, or receipt of child pornography, file a report on the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)’s website or call 1-800-843-5678. Your report will be forwarded to a law enforcement agency for investigation and action as detailed here.

It may be required or optional to report to local law enforcement as well, and is dependent on state and local laws and statutes.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures website, the state of Ohio does not have explicit state policies requiring businesses to report the incident, as detailed here (as of Sept 2013), though again, local statutes may vary by location.

We also found this article, which might be helpful in understanding risks from a legal perspective for businesses who might find child pornography on their server, as it lays out a process for organizations to follow.

Lastly, this white paper from the American Bar Association may also prove useful for organizations.

Ensuring Security Team Coverage During the Holidays

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Just a quick note to remind you that now is a good time to double check the on-call, vacation and coverage schedules for your infosec team members, all of the key members of your incident response team and the critical managers and department liaisons. It’s a good time to review and update your contact lists for these folks and to identify anyone who might be unavailable during the holidays double check that you have a secondary contact.

While we certainly hope that your team doesn’t have to respond to an incident during the holidays, it is not unheard of. So, a few moments of careful attention now, may save you some stress during an already stressful period.

Thanks for reading, have a great holiday season and stay safe out there!