A Mimecast spokesman has warned that in a labour market already stretched by shortages, Dutch digital resilience could be threatened if more attention isn’t paid to the mental well-being of cyber security professionals.
Wanting To Change Jobs
Recent research commissioned by Mimecast in the Netherlands showed that a quarter of Dutch IT professionals are considering changing jobs in two years due to the risk of ‘burnout.’ Although burnout rates in the Netherlands among cyber security specialists are lower that the global average – 35 per cent as compared to 56 per cent – the research revealed that stress levels are high. It is thought that burnout rates are only as low as they are due to a 'part-time' culture, a good national work-life balance, and an innate cultural directness that highlights issues early.
What Kind Of Stresses?
The kind of stresses and fears identified by the Mimecast research that cyber security professionals are facing, are reported to be:
- Security cutbacks at organisations.
- An increasing threat of cyber attacks.
- Feeling unrecognised in their work.
- Increasing media coverage of ransomware attacks making security professionals feel pressure to prepare properly.
- Fears about cyber insurance coverage and fear of potentially devastating attacks on critical infrastructure.
- Added pressure from the high workload caused by a chronic shortage of cyber specialists.
