Cyber security professionals are more worried about day-to-day stress and lack of career progression than suffering a cyber-attack, according to research from The Chartered Institute of Information Security.

The study, which surveyed 315 security professionals, found that a third are “kept awake” by job stress, a quarter by lack of opportunity, and only 22 per cent by their organisation suffering a cyber-attack.

“Failure to adopt industry standards puts security teams on the back foot when it comes to protecting organisations against cyber-attacks, and only adds to their day-to-day stress,” said Amanda Finch, chief executive of CIISec. “Without investing time and effort into making cyber security professionals’ lives easier, organisations are setting themselves up for failure.”

Finch added: “People need to be supported in their roles – with the right processes in place, the skills to do their jobs effectively, and clear paths to progress. Without this, the industry will soon see burnt-out talent who can’t defend against evolving threats.”

70 per cent of respondents said that people are still the biggest cybersecurity challenge they face in security, compared to technology – 17 per cent – and process – 13 per cent.

Three quarters said that the cybersecurity market is “growing”, with a further 15 per cent say it is “booming”.

Share Story: