Ransomware is pushing cybersecurity professionals to leave their jobs

Cybersecurity threats continue to ravage many corporations despite increased cybersecurity budgets which can be attributed to factors such as;

●     Lack of cybersecurity awareness among internet users.

●     Availability of sophisticated cybersecurity tools to plan and launch attacks.

●     Inadequate training of non-technical personnel on measures to take to protect themselves from cybersecurity threats.

In the recent past, ransomware has become a major threat to many business organizations leading to increased reliance on ransomware security professionals. Consequently, the pressure associated with protecting organizations from such threats has pushed professionals to consider leaving the industry altogether.

Cybersecurity professionals experience stress levels as they deal with persistent ransomware threats. A report by Deep Instinct shows that 46 percent of senior and executive-level cybersecurity experts have considered leaving the industry due to increased stress.

According to Deep Instinct, 90 percent of professionals admit to being stressed in their jobs which in turn impacts their productivity levels. C-suite executives such as CISOs, CTOs, ITOs, and IT strategy directors are the most stressed.

The report said, “more cybersecurity professionals than ever are seriously considering leaving the industry permanently as a result of these pressures – with potentially catastrophic consequences for the organizations that rely on their vigilance.”

The COVID-19 pandemic is to blame for some of the pressure mounted on cybersecurity professionals. A few months after the outbreak in China, many organizations were forced to adopt the “work from home” paradigm which in turn led to increased cybersecurity threats due to reduced security surveillance on employee devices.

CISOs and other cybersecurity executives have had a hard time implementing effective security measures to protect devices in a remote working setup.

Another issue putting pressure on cybersecurity professionals is the lack of tools and staff shortage. Many organizations do not hire enough cybersecurity professionals leading to burnout of the few available staff. It is unfair to expect such staff to amicably handle cybersecurity threats.

As far as ransomware detection and prevention tools are concerned, several organizations have failed to invest enough in cybersecurity hardware and software leading to inefficient mitigation strategies. You can imagine a situation where ransomware attackers have better tools than cybersecurity professionals – the results will be catastrophic. It’s like the adage; don’t bring a knife to a gunfight.

If corporations don’t make changes to their cybersecurity strategies, the cost of losing cybersecurity professionals will be far much higher as compared to the cost of investing in better cybersecurity plans.