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Cybersecurity teams are reaching their breaking point. We should all be worried


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Cybersecurity professionals are “reaching a breaking point” as ransomware attacks increase and create new risks for people and businesses.

A global study of 1,100 cybersecurity professionals by Mimecast found that a third are considering leaving their role in the next two years due to stress and burnout.

The report shows that rising cybercrime rates and media attention around cyberattacks are putting enormous pressure on cybersecurity teams, with many fearing they will lose their jobs as a result of the attack. Internet workers and others are struggling to cope with the increase in stress.

Mimecast says cybersecurity teams face “a pressure cooker of ongoing attacks, disruption and burnout” that makes it even harder to attract and retain Cybersecurity experts are essential to keep your business secure.

Speaking to ZDNET, Johan Dreyer, EMEA CTO at Mimecast, said the impact of understaffed IT security teams will have a “domino effect” on IT teams “across the entire field” unless action is taken. to solve the problems facing the industry. .

Also: Cybersecurity burnout is real. And it will be a problem for all of us

Dreyer added that ransomware, payment fraud, corporate espionage, intellectual property theft and disinformation campaigns have all increased “at an alarming rate” in the past few months alone, leaving businesses and people alike Consumers are even more vulnerable to cybercriminals.

“Demand for networking skills is more significant than ever, and shortages of workers with the necessary qualifications have created a continuously growing skills shortage in the workplace,” Dreyer told ZDNET. .

“This comes at a time when demand for IT roles is growing. This skills gap has a negative impact on IT teams across the industry. [and] Many professionals are reaching their breaking point. “

Nearly two-thirds (64%) of cybersecurity leaders surveyed by Mimecast said they had experienced at least one ransomware attack in the past year, while 77% said the number of cyberattacks targeted into their company has increased or stayed the same since 2021.

These attacks have “personal consequences” for the well-being of cybersecurity professionals, Mimecast found: more than half (54%) of respondents agreed that ransomware attacks have a negative impact on their mental healthwhile 56% reported that their roles became more stressful each year.

Also: The Scary Future of the Internet: How Tomorrow’s Technology Will Present Greater Cybersecurity Threats

One-third of the teams reported the number Exhaustion-related absences after an attack. Additionally, 34% of cybersecurity leaders report difficulty recruiting IT staff after an attack occurs, making it even harder for organizations to prevent future incidents. future.

The growth of cybercrime is also fueling media interest in the topic, setting the stage for organizations to find themselves in the spotlight. More than half of the leaders (53%) surveyed by Mimecast agree that increasing media coverage of ransomware attacks is causing increased pressure to prepare.

Even so, Mimecast says there are signs that cybersecurity teams often “lack the basics when it comes to attack prevention”. When asked what additional resources they need to prevent and prepare for cyberattacks, nearly half of cybersecurity leaders said they need up-to-date security systems (46%), while another 46% said IT security awareness training program for end users and employees. .

Some companies are starting increase their budget in cybersecurity skills trainingwhich Dreyer says is “a step in the right direction” that other businesses must follow if they hope to fill the gap in IT security training.

Also: Cybersecurity awareness is good for everyone – but it needs to be done better

However, he says more targeted training will be needed as hackers start adding more sophisticated tools to their arsenal. “One of the new cyber threats businesses are facing is the use of AI by cybercriminals; this allows criminals to carry out more sophisticated and larger-scale attacks,” Dreyer said. , making it very difficult for organizations to prevent.”

“To overcome this, companies need to train and upskill their workforce by providing their own training. Along with training their employees, AI can help with optimization. systems to reduce some of the stress on tech teams As new cyber threats keep emerging, such training as it needs to be an ongoing process and should be more common to all staff, students and interns.”

According to Mimecast, 56% of attacks cost businesses more than $100,000 in total. Since half of decision-makers allocate less than $550k to their cybersecurity budget annually, an attack can cost 20% of the total budget.

Accountability can be another barrier to raising cybersecurity awareness. Mimecast found that IT security leaders feel less personal responsibility when an attack is successful, with 57% reporting that they would feel very responsible in the event of a ransomware attack , compared with 71% last year.

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