British and Irish IT leaders believe overwhelming stress has damaged their employers’ ability to retain the best technology talent, new research has found.
The figures, which highlight a worrying talent shortage in the sector, come from a report by cyber security company SenseOn, which found that the vast majority (95%) of bosses agreed that stress was a major problem.
As a result, two in five (41%) now see the lack of skilled staff as one of the key challenges when it comes to managing cyber threats.
Companies are losing employees because they are under too much stress
While the study did not specifically examine the impact of artificial intelligence on the cybersecurity industry, SenseOn found that companies are unhappy with the pace at which technology is stepping in to fill the gap.
Among those turning to technology for quick solutions, the average implementation is up to six months, plus another six months for staff training. The longer timeline puts additional pressure on IT teams, with around two-thirds (64%) acknowledging they could have used this time more productively.
About a quarter (27%) of companies surveyed were found not to have a threat detection and response solution in place at all, with many focusing too heavily on ease of deployment rather than cost and vendor reputation, indicating a more short-term risk. decision-making process.
“Too often, organizations purchase new cybersecurity solutions in response to issues such as increasing cyber threats or stress among their IT teams,” said David Atkinson, CEO of SenseOn.
“But they don’t think about the value they will provide in both the short and long term, and the broader implications.”
Atkinson’s advice is that companies should take a more measured approach to understanding the data to find the right solution. He added: “more tools does not equal more security, it can actually create additional vulnerabilities and increase pressure on workers.”