How to prevent burnout in a cybersecurity career

Introduction: Picture, if you will … 

It was just another Wednesday. As usual, Grace Adams had arrived punctually at 8:00, even though she had worked late yet again last night. Her mind wandered as she went for her second venti espresso. Her life was falling apart and she could not understand it.

A couple years ago, Grace had landed her dream job. It was something she had dedicated years to and it was finally paying off. The boss had recognized Grace as a dedicated and skilled professional and she was promoted after just a few months. She was happy, earning well above the market average, with a future full of great opportunities.

Sponsorships Available

It all happened so fast she was still dazzled. Mike had left her last week, saying she was not the same person and that he would not live with someone so distant and self-centered. In fact, as yet another alert blipped on her screen, she was trying — and failing — to remember the last time she spent with her family and friends.

Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted when her supervisor entered the office, shouting.

“Grace, what did you do? They got us! All files and databases are encrypted!” 

As they investigated the several hundred ignored alerts, it became clear what the problem was. As the usual corporate background images were replaced on every computer by a smiling skull asking for a huge amount of bitcoins, Grace went into panic mode. Her career had barely started and was already over.

Cybersecurity and burnout

As with any high-responsibility job, working in cybersecurity can be something quite exhausting. Not only is this a career that demands a constant development of knowledge and skills, but that in many cases requires long working hours (including many late nights, weekends and holidays) (Read more...)