FEATURE
cybersecurityeurope PAGE 44
it gives rise to – create perfect
conditions for cyber criminals to step- up their activities. Employees are likely more susceptible to phishing and malware attacks in a climate riddled by Coronavirus concern; and a requirement to work remotely might introduce a delay in human response to hack attacks and other intrusions into an organisation’s IT systems. Then there is also an insider threat dimension to the situation. Employees who, for any reason, take exception to being furloughed might become more minded to misappropriate data assets. On top of all this, the likelihood that team strength might be lessened by team members becoming unwell and unable to work, is bound to play on the minds of enterprise security leaders. Furthermore, the recent increase in opportunistic Coronavirus-related attacks has not meant any lessening of ‘threats-as-usual’ off ensive activity. Indications are that cyber criminals
have highly scalable resources when it comes to exploiting unprecedented situations like widespread pandemics and lockdowns. These accumulated pressures can only add to the chances that the mental health of cyber security professionals will suff er as the situation unfolds, particularly if
subsequent ‘waves’ of contagion occur (as some health experts have warned of) and prolong an already hyper-critical situation. Scheduled work routine breaks that might help an individual fi nd
respite from the predicament –such as vacations or visits to cyber security industry exhibitions and conferences like it-sa – are curtailed until the emergency is deemed past.
AWARENESS OF MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES GROWS “In a world of that is increasingly focussed on the scourge of mental illness, it seems appropriate to try to understand the exposure of security professionals to the work-related aspects of this condition,” says the Chartered Institute of Information Security (CIISec)’s The Security Profession in 2020 report, based on a survey of its members. In reply to the question ‘Have you or someone you know left a job due to overwork/burn-out?’, 18% of respondents said that they had left a role’ due to the pressure or risk of burning out’. A further 25% of CIISec members have at least thought about it, the survey found. Only 21% of those polled by CIISec have had ‘no problems of this kind’, the report states. For many respondents to Nominet’s CISO Stress Report, the eff ects
of stress went beyond an adverse eff ect on their mental health: 31% also reported that their stress had impacted their physical health. The number of CISOs who have turned to medication or alcohol has increased by from 17% in 2019 to 23% in 2020. Any assessment of the impact of stress on cyber security
practitioners also should take account of the fact that they are essentially technologists – and typically, that’s not a role where they
The Coronavirus pandemic creates perfect conditions for the ruthlessly cunning cyber criminals to step-up their off ensive actions.
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