Budget cuts are negatively affecting mental health in IT, and here are the most worrying statistics

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Data security, risk, and compliance are all causing stress and anxiety

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Independent research into the mental health of IT professionals has found that budget cuts are negatively impacting wellbeing in the cyber security sector.

The research, commissioned by Integrity360, surveyed 205 IT security professionals on their attitudes towards their organizations IT budget, their main concerns within the job, and the availability of mental health support and services.

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 Challenges facing IT decision makers

Of the main challenges facing those in IT, 48% said that protecting sensitive data caused the most stress followed by managing risk and compliance (28%), defending identities (26%) and ransomware ranked at 25%.

Of the different professions within the industry, CIOs were found to have the highest impact on their mental wellbeing (30%) when working on security consolidation, with CTOs  and security analysts having significantly lower concerns at 18% and 14% respectively.

The shortage of qualified professionals within the cybersecurity industry has forced many IT departments to do more with less, increasing the workloads on already struggling workers. 63% of those surveyed noted that working within cybersecurity contributed to increased levels of stress and anxiety.

Fortunately, close to 70% said that adequate support was provided by their organization however 75% would like more to be done to provide wider access to mental health services.

Speaking on the results of the survey, Brian Martin, Head of Product Development, Innovation and Strategy at Integrity360 said, "Cyber security budgets have always been challenging and this year has certainly tested many businesses.

“A myriad of issues from budget, economic downturn and skills shortage have all impacted the workload placed on those tasked with tackling cyber threats and compliance and it’s no surprise this is having a detrimental effect on mental wellbeing. 

“Businesses need to find solutions to support their employees and ensure that the systems they are working so hard to secure are up to the task. Enlisting third party help or outsourcing to an MSSP could be a good place to start.”

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Benedict Collins
Benedict Collins
Senior Writer, Security

Benedict is a Senior Security Writer at TechRadar Pro, where he has specialized in covering the intersection of geopolitics, cyber-warfare, and business security.

Benedict provides detailed analysis on state-sponsored threat actors, APT groups, and the protection of critical national infrastructure, with his reporting bridging the gap between technical threat intelligence and B2B security strategy.

Benedict holds an MA (Distinction) in Security, Intelligence, and Diplomacy from the University of Buckingham Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies (BUCSIS), with his specialization providing him with a robust academic framework for deconstructing complex international conflicts and intelligence operations, and the ability to translate intricate security data into actionable insights.