A recent report from the 2024 State of Cybersecurity survey, conducted by ISACA, highlights the growing stress levels among cybersecurity professionals in India. According to the report, 63 percent of Indian cybersecurity professionals find their roles significantly more stressful than five years ago, driven by an increasingly complex threat landscape, insufficiently trained staff, and hiring challenges.
Increasing Complexity of Threats
The survey, which gathered insights from 122 Indian cybersecurity professionals and over 1,800 professionals worldwide, identifies the top stress factors affecting cybersecurity roles in India. A staggering 87 percent of respondents attributed the heightened stress to the complexity of cyber threats. Other key reasons include:
- Insufficiently trained staff (54 percent)
- Hiring and retention challenges (53 percent)
- Lack of prioritization of cybersecurity risks (44 percent)
- Low budgets (40 percent)
With cyberattacks becoming more sophisticated, the stress on cybersecurity teams has been amplified. Additionally, 29 percent of Indian respondents report an increase in cybersecurity attacks on their organizations, with the top threats being:
- Social engineering (16 percent)
- Malware (12 percent)
- Denial of service (11 percent)
- Zero-day exploits (11 percent)
Growing Concern Over Social Engineering Attacks
Mike Mellor, VP of Cyber Operations at Adobe, emphasized the role of human error in data breaches, stating, “Social engineering attacks, such as phishing, are a growing concern for organizations as human error remains a major factor in data breaches. With the increasing frequency and sophistication of these attacks, it’s essential for organizations to adopt secure authentication methods to strengthen their defenses. Adobe believes that fostering a deep security culture among all employees through anti-phishing training, combined with stronger controls such as zero-trust networks protected by phishing-resistant authentication, are essential in safeguarding any organization.”
Budget and Staffing Challenges
The survey shows a stark contrast between the rising threat landscape and the resources allocated to combat it. Nearly 47 percent of respondents say their cybersecurity budgets are underfunded, and 49 percent expect budget increases in the coming year. However, 46 percent of India-based organizations report being understaffed, with significant challenges in filling both entry-level and experienced roles.
Here’s a breakdown of open cybersecurity positions in India:
- 30 percent of organizations have no open positions.
- 48 percent have openings for non-entry-level positions.
- 24 percent have entry-level positions available.
RV Raghu, ISACA India Ambassador – “Despite the increase in the awareness of cybersecurity threats, many organizations in India and even globally are still underfunding their cybersecurity budgets. With 87% of Indian cybersecurity professionals identifying the complex threat landscape as a top stressor and 40% pointing to underfunded budgets, it is evident that organizations in India need to do more to support their cybersecurity teams. Hiring challenges combined with the increasing complexity of the attacks that we face today are putting a lot of pressure on cybersecurity teams. “It is time for organizations to rethink their approach, and focus on better resource allocation, enhanced training, and support systems to build resilient cybersecurity teams that are capable of withstanding future threats.”
Skills Gaps and Retention Issues
Finding and retaining skilled cybersecurity professionals is another growing concern. 66 percent of Indian respondents report difficulties in retaining qualified talent, citing limited promotion opportunities, poor financial incentives, high-stress levels, and a lack of remote work options as the primary reasons for attrition.
When hiring, organizations are prioritizing:
- Prior hands-on experience (84 percent)
- Credentials and certifications (51 percent)
However, skills gaps in areas like cloud computing (48 percent) and security control implementation (40 percent) continue to pose challenges.
Jon Brandt, ISACA’s Director of Professional Practices and Innovation – “Employers should home in on the occupational stress their digital defenders are facing. This is an opportunity for employers to explore ways to support staff before burnout and attrition occur. Employees want to feel valued. As the leadership adage goes, take care of your people and they’ll take care of you.”
The Road Ahead
As the cybersecurity threat landscape evolves, Indian organizations must rethink their strategies for cybersecurity resource allocation, employee training, and overall support. With cyberattacks on the rise and burnout a growing risk, businesses need to build resilient cybersecurity teams capable of withstanding future threats.
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