Investment in mental health amongst cybersecurity professionals set to increase

Investment in mental health amongst cybersecurity professionals is set to increase, according to a new poll.

Infosecurity Europe has shared findings of a recent Twitter poll addressing cybersecurity budgets and investment in 2023. When questioned on which aspect of cybersecurity they'd like to see more investment, mental health topped the list with almost 45% of respondents identifying this as a priority. 

"Cybersecurity is an always on industry that demands time, patience and resilience from all those involved," says Nicole Mills, Exhibition Director at Infosecurity Group. 

"Whether its trawling through false positives, analysing threat intel, or managing the response and repercussions of a data breach, the nature of the role, and being accountable for the security and safety of an organisation can be overwhelming," she says. 

"It is amazing to see this recognition and to see that investments are being made into the wellbeing of these security professionals."

Collaboration and threat intel sharing were also voted for by 38%, highlighting the need for the cybersecurity industry to work together to build an environment of trust and transparency in order to exchange knowledge, resources and ideas. 

Threat intel sharing within industries is ripe for investment. When we look at how the construction industry has come together through their CISO Forum and collaboration with the NCSC and BEIS, to share threat intel, information about incidents, and what tools and strategies they are deploying, they recognise a common enemy against their industry, despite the fact they are in direct competition, commented Ian Hill, Director of Cyber and Information Security, UPP Corporation. 

Furthermore, over 40% of respondents believe that the current economic climate will see budget cuts increase the risk level to their organisation. More then 20% see the potential for external threats to further increase risk, and insider threats were ranked by 13% as becoming a bigger risk as businesses contend with economic shifts. Positively, 21% expect to see no change to the risk level to their organisation, suggesting that the current crisis will have little bearing on their organisations cybersecurity budget. 

However, the financial industry is predicted to be at an increased risk of a cyber-attack as cybersecurity budgets take a hit according to 60% of respondents. Healthcare followed with near 30% expecting threats to increase as budgets suffer. This is hardly surprising given the value of the information they hold. 

The poll findings are indicative of the themes and discussions lined up for this year's Infosecurity Europe conference, which will run from Tuesday 20-Thursday 22 June 2022 at ExCeL London.