Cyber Defense eMagazine May 2019

86% of Cybersecurity Professionals Expect to Move In 2019,
There’s One Way to Fight Against It.
A people first approach to security is critical for success but it seems challenging and sometimes
daunting.
By Karl Sharman, Vice-President, BeecherMadden
Human error is the number one cause of breaches or incidents according to Willis Towers Watson (almost
2/3’s of breaches). Some of these will be error, but some will be rogue employees or ex-employees. Our
research at BeecherMadden found, that in 2019, 86% of cyber professionals are open to moving
organizations. Losing security staff creates a business risk, as do disgruntled or disengaged employees.
So how can you mitigate this key security risk?
A people first approach to security is critical for success but it seems challenging and sometimes
daunting, especially when considered against the two statistics above. A potential solution is for the CISO
to appoint a Chief of Staff. The Chief of Staff can focus on the people issues, without needing to have
the technical expertise often found in cybersecurity teams.
When speaking about security staff departing, one of the most expensive of those is the CISO. Industry
research suggests that the average CISO tenure is only a maximum of 48 months, with many packing their
bags even sooner according to CSO. Bringing in a solid Chief of Staff to remove some of the day-to-day
grind could help CISOs focus on the higher-level parts of the job, maintain a more favorable work-life
balance, and possibly extend the 18-24 months into more longevity and company loyalty.
This person can drive cyber awareness training, internal education, hiring and retention strategies and
bridge that gap across many business units in complex environments. Although this comes at a cost to
the business, hiring and education can be far more detrimental to the bottom line as well as damaging
market reputation. Furthermore, their exposure to the team will further provide insight into areas for
development or preventable issues around staffing, risk or costs to the business.
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