Object First Data Shows 91% of Workers Stressed by IT Security Risks

AI is part of the pressure in two ways. Nine in 10 workers say AI tools have improved their productivity, but seven in 10 say the growth of AI-powered threats is a key driver behind their stress. Fewer than one-quarter, or 24%, believe their organization is suitably equipped to deal with those threats.

The risk of cyberattacks was named by 50% of respondents as a leading cause of stress at work. High workloads and understaffing were also named by 50%, placing them joint first. Gaps in backup and recovery effectiveness were cited by 41%, and pressure to maintain uptime was cited by 44%. The findings suggest pressure is not coming from direct attacks alone but also from workload and operations.

Recovery tools add to the strain. Three in four, or 74%, say their recovery tools are difficult to use without security expertise, leaving regular knowledge workers at a loss. One in five, or 19%, say they feel hopeless and overwhelmed during and after an incident. Four in five, or 78%, say stress negatively affected their job performance, and two in five, or 39%, say they had thought about quitting.

Object First CEO David Bennett concluded: "As critical as technology is to cyber resilience, those responsible for protecting and recovering an organization’s data are just as essential." The data was reported by TechRadar, which did not include a sample size or geographic scope in the article.