The Chartered Institute of Information Security (CIISec) has linked up with armed forces and veterans charity PTSD Resolution to try to address the increasingly severe mental health challenges faced by cyber security professionals during the course of their work.
Over half of security professionals have reported serious mental health impacts from work-related stress, often arising from highly pressurised and fractious incident remediation and investigation work – for example, during the recent Marks & Spencer ransomware incident, it was reported that IT teams had no alternative but to sleep in shifts at the office. CIISec said that with UK businesses responding to nearly nine million cyber incidents every year, the psychological toll on frontline defenders was now reaching crisis levels.
Tony Gauvain, a former colonel in the British Army who founded PTSD Resolution in 2009, said the burnout and trauma experienced by cyber pros were in many ways similar to that experienced by veterans during their service.
“Both involve high-stakes decision-making, constant vigilance and potential for moral injury when security breaches occur despite best efforts,” he said.
“With cyber security professionals facing an avalanche of threats, the psychological impact is profound. Through this partnership, we can extend our proven Human Givens Therapy approach to help cyber security professionals before burnout leads to serious mental health issues.”
The collaboration will offer comprehensive mental health support through trauma awareness training and access to professional therapists.
PTSD Resolution will lead on the provision of free introductory Trauma Awareness Training for Everyone workshops for CIISec Corporate Members, running twice a year, as well as half-day comprehensive trauma awareness training sessions for organisations, to equip security leaders and line managers with the tools to recognise the signs of mental trauma.
CIISec’s 10,000-odd Individual Members will also receive direct access to the charity’s network of 200 accredited therapists – PTSD Resolution says the therapists it works with generally run about seven sessions per treatment programme. Importantly, they will not need employer or medical referral to do so, potentially removing one barrier to access.
CIISec members who served in the military will also receive these services free of charge, in line with PTSD Resolution’s founding ideals.
The partnership will, in particular, focus on the perennial issue of burnout – a frequent problem for Britain’s cyber workforce which manifests through symptoms such as emotional exhaustion, depression and a reduced sense of accomplishment in one’s work.
Amanda Finch, CEO of CIISec, said: “The mental well-being of cyber security professionals is intrinsically linked to the security of our digital infrastructure. With our members on the frontlines defending against sophisticated attacks that could compromise critical national infrastructure, the psychological pressure is immense.
“This partnership with PTSD Resolution addresses a critical but often overlooked aspect of our industry,” she said. “By providing our members with access to these specialist services, we’re not only supporting individual well-being, but also strengthening the UK’s cyber defence capabilities through a more resilient workforce.”
CIISec members can access more information on the new initiative through the member’s section at its website, available here.
