The industry recognizes there is a problem with staff being overworked and reaching a point of burnout. What is the definition of burnout, and how can we spot the signs? Perhaps we need to look at this from a different angle to begin to make some progress in this area.

In this conversation with Black Hat speaker, Dr Stacy Thayer, we explore the history, definition, and progress we are making as we attempt to deal with burnout and the overarching challenges of employee experience.

About the session, "Trying to Be Everything to Everyone: Let’s Talk About Burnout"
Research shows computer security professionals describe the computer security industry as a high-risk yet high-reward profession with negative effects on the workforce. There is an estimated 805,000 computer security professionals working in the US, but meeting the business demand for computer security professionals would require 62% industry growth. This leaves those in the field understaffed and highly stressed, ultimately leading to burnout. Stress and burnout can lead to mental fatigue, which can negatively impact motivation and engagement. It can also cause diminishing focus and performance levels, and have a negative impact on operational security, satisfaction, and performance, both in the office and at home. This talk will discuss the existing research on burnout in the computer security industry and will discuss what really causes burnout, why it happens, and what you can do to mitigate it, including setting healthy boundaries, avoiding guilt, realistic ways to manage anxiety, and honest self-talk so you can identify what is needed to refill your energy and passion.

I will discuss how to recognize burnout in hidden places and explore the root causes of it.

I will address what to do about it – going beyond simply meditation, exercise, and healthy eating. If it was that easy, we would all be doing that. This talk is unique in that it will utilize a knowledge of practical psychology to keep it real and use behavioral change models as a guide for reducing burnout. How do you find motivation, appreciation, and time for yourself when it feels like the world around you is demanding you give more? You will leave this talk with a better understanding of how burnout happens, your personal relationship to burnout, and an idea of what to do to help reduce, relieve, and manage it.

Be sure to catch all of our conversations from Black Hat and DEF CON 2022 at https://www.itspm.ag/bhdc22

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Guest
Stacy Thayer
Ph.D, Clinical and Organizational/Business Psychology, Norfolk State University [@Norfolkstate]
On LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacythayer/
On Twitter | https://twitter.com/DrStacyThayer
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This Episode’s Sponsors

CrowdSec | https://itspm.ag/crowdsec-b1vp
Edgescan | https://itspm.ag/itspegweb

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Resources

Session | Trying to Be Everything to Everyone: Let’s Talk About Burnout: https://www.blackhat.com/us-22/briefings/schedule/#trying-to-be-everything-to-everyone-lets-talk-about-burnout-28230

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