Introduction
This is the fifth survey CIISec (formerly IISP) has conducted, and once again the results make interesting reading.
The survey is short and structured around themes, as in previous years. The reuse of some questions shows trends over time that can be encouraging or discouraging or, in some cases, stubbornly static. Each year additional questions are posed that related to areas of specific interest in the security profession, in the past this has allowed greater insight into the opinions and preparedness around GDPR, for example.
In this survey, we added two questions that relate to the implications evident from previous years. It is clear from past survey results (and this year is no exception) that resources are scarce, budgets are tight, regulations are increasing, and the threat landscape is getting ever more complex. As such we have tried to gauge, along with all the other metrics and opinions, whether the security industry is handling this level of personal pressure.
In an era where workplace stress, mental illness, mindfulness and work-life balance are matters of importance and interest, we sought to understand if the security profession was at risk of burning itself out. Is the profession continually trying to cope with a growing problem by relying on a static and under-resourced workforce? And what does this mean for the people at the coal face?
One thing that none of us can avoid talking about this year is the effects (currently ongoing) of the coronavirus pandemic. The data collection for the survey preceded this hugely disruptive period, but as the report is compiled the lockdown is in full swing, with daily figures for new cases and deaths seemingly being the only statistic that matters, closely followed by the economic impacts of the cessation of society. We will touch on this in the concluding section.
