Cybersecurity staff turnover and burnout: How worried should organizations be?

The heightened risk of cyberattacks on businesses is being compounded by significant recruitment and retention issues within cybersecurity teams, making businesses more vulnerable to potential attacks, according to a research from ThreatConnect.

With the number of data breaches in 2021 soaring past that of 2020, there is added pressure on cybersecurity teams to keep businesses secure. The research has found a concerning level of staff turnover, skills shortages, burnout, and low staff morale, pointing towards depleted reserves trying to manage the growing risk.

Cybersecurity teams recruitment and retention issues

• Senior decision-makers across the US report an average security staff turnover rate of 20%.
• 64% of senior decision-makers have seen a rise in turnover over the past year.
• 43% of US respondents attribute a lack of skills as the biggest barrier for recruitment.
• 1 in 5 US respondents are considering quitting their jobs in the next six months.
• 57% of US respondents have experienced an increase in stress over the past six months.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created what many are calling the Great Resignation, which has affected all industries for the past two years. Employees, specifically those in the security industry, are now being expected to do more with less.

Cybercrime has increased significantly over the past year, making digital protection for businesses both more important and more difficult to achieve. Companies cannot afford to lose any security team members with cybercrime increasing so rapidly.

“In today’s digital ecosystem it is crucial that security employees receive adequate training, support, and resources needed to work efficiently in their jobs,” said Adam Vincent, CEO of ThreatConnect. “As employee turnover increases in this sector, it creates a vicious cycle that impacts a company’s performance and ability to mitigate cyber risks.”

“This makes it even more difficult for security teams to fulfill the company’s needs. Organizations must look at these numbers and recognize that there is more that can be done to protect their employees and in turn, the welfare of their company.”