CISO burnout and unmanaged stress are contributing to high attrition in cybersecurity leadership. Many CISOs leave the field or take sideways moves to reduce pressure, including fractional CISO work, consultancy roles, or vendor positions that offer more control. Average CISO tenure is reported as between 18 months and three years, compared with about 5.2 years for C-suite leaders in S&P 500 companies. Warning signs can include reduced ambition and a narrowing of work scope, reflecting a shift into coping mode while still delivering results. Personal indicators may include sleep pattern changes, exhaustion, reduced exercise and proper eating, and increased reliance on alcohol or recreational drugs to manage anxiety and fears about potential failures.
"“The number of CISOs [chief information security officers] who are no longer in the field and have left it due to burnout is shocking,” he said. “Many employers are now obsessed with burnout as they've lost so many good people who are just incinerated on the job.”"
"“The early warning signs are a reduction in ambition and a narrowing down of the scope of work, which is about going into coping mode to get by,” Hughes says. “It doesn't tend to be noticed as much as people are still performing at a high level and are delivering, but under the bonnet, there's a sense of running to stand still.”"
"“On people leaving the industry altogether: some do, but more commonly they move sideways to become fractional CISOs or to work in consultancies or vendor roles because it gives them control back.”"
"At a personal level, CISOs often experience changes in sleep patterns, leading to feelings of exhaustion. They may stop exercising or eating properly and resort to alcohol and recreational drugs to help them relax due to continuous feelings of anxiety and fears of what could go wrong."
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