Ride the Lightning

Almost One Third of Cybersecurity Leaders Considering Quitting Their Jobs

November 10, 2022

BlackFog posted on November 1 that almost a third (32%) of CISOs or IT cybersecurity leaders in the UK and US are considering leaving their current organization. Of those considering leaving their current role, a third of those would do so within the next six months. These findings come as demand for cybersecurity talent intensifies, with many shortages reported in both the UK and the US.

30% of respondents said that work life balance is the most disliked part of the job for cybersecurity leaders. Not a surprise considering how many are on call 24/7. Of the respondents, 27% stated that too much time was spent on firefighting rather than focusing on strategic issues.

More than half of respondents (52%) say they struggle to keep up to date with new approaches to cybersecurity.

The study revealed that of those who had been a CISO or IT security leader at a previous organization, two fifths (41%) either left, or were let go, due to an attack or data breach.

In spite of the sobering results above, 44% of respondents stating that the most enjoyable aspect of the job is being the company ‘protector’ and having the ability to keep everyone working securely.

Dr. Darren Williams, CEO and Founder of BlackFog, said “Recruiting is a challenge globally, and with stiff competition to attract the best talent, organizations need to address the well-being and work-life balance issues that have persisted across the industry. Organizations do not want to run the risk of having a lapse in their security posture in the wake of losing their CISO.”

Among the report’s findings:

• 52% of respondents admitted that they are struggling to keep up to date with new frameworks and models such as Zero Trust.
• A further 20% felt that keeping the skill levels of their teams in line with these was a ‘serious challenge’.
• 54% felt that they weren’t able to keep up to date with information on the latest cybersecurity solutions such as anti-data exfiltration.

There were several key positives reflected in this study, especially concerning Board expectations for the respondents. BlackFog’s findings show that 75% of respondents agree that there is a full alignment between the Board expectations of what they can achieve in their role and what they are equipped and able to deliver. In fact, two thirds (64%) of respondents were able to complete their priority tasks within the first six months of their starting date. This may be because, on average, 27% of IT spending is dedicated to cybersecurity.

That percentage seems to me to increase every year!

Sharon D. Nelson, Esq., President, Sensei Enterprises, Inc.
3975 University Drive, Suite 225, Fairfax, VA 22030
Email:   Phone: 703-359-0700
Digital Forensics/Cybersecurity/Information Technology
https://senseient.com
https://twitter.com/sharonnelsonesq
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharondnelson
https://amazon.com/author/sharonnelson