CISO burnout: How to balance leadership, pressure and sanity

Reasons for increased CISO burnout

Cyberattacks, ransomware and supply chain attacks are all on the rise. Recent cyberattacks and outages include:

• CDK Global outage. This attack impacted car dealerships, automakers, and customers, resulting in CDK shutting down its systems for a lengthy restoration process. 
• Change Healthcare. Change Healthcare processes billions of healthcare transactions annually, and the attack affected hospital service delivery, revenue cycle management and claims eligibility and had a lasting impact on its reputation.

According to "The State of Ransomware 2024" report from Sophos, ransomware affects 59% of organizations, and in 2025, global spending on cybersecurity is expected to reach $202.98 billion. Strong cybersecurity is essential for businesses to operate smoothly, to maintain their reputation and avoid expensive costs, making the job of the CISO more complex. Other reasons for CISO burnout include the following:

• Blame culture. When a breach occurs, the organization, the board and the public will first look to the CISO. Though responsible for the security strategy of a business, data breaches can happen for several reasons that go beyond the control of the CISO. The emotional pressure of taking responsibility and blame -- even if not warranted -- can contribute to CISO burnout.
• Emerging technology. As technology evolves, organizations quickly adapt to remain competitive and spark innovation. For a CISO, any technology requires securing. Ultimately, technology widens the attack surface.
• Evolving threat landscape. With constantly changing threats and new attack vectors -- such as AI-powered attacks and deepfake fraud -- the work of the CISO never ends and changes day by day. For a CISO today, there is no finish line in sight. Once one threat has been handled, they must move on to solving another.
• Extended working hours. With increasing workloads due to unprecedented risk and evolving threats, CISOs are likely to work beyond their contracted hours. Research by BlackFog revealed that 98% of cybersecurity leaders work beyond their hours, on average working 9 extra hours per week. 15% of respondents reported working an extra 16 hours a week.
• Lack of support from the organization. With budget increases continuing to limit spending, CISOs rarely receive the budget they require. On top of this, with limited power and pushback from employees on initiatives like security training, CISOs may feel out of their depth when it comes to establishing authority. At small organizations with an annual revenue under $400 million, 42% of CISOs meet with their boards on an ad hoc basis, or not at all, according to the IANS Research and Artico Search 2025 State of the CISO report.

How CISOs can balance leadership and mental well-being

For CISOs facing unprecedented levels of work because of evolving threats and attacks, balancing leadership and work with mental health is essential. To strike the balance between leading effectively and remaining sane, CISOs should:

1. Communicate transparently with the wider business. By communicating transparently and openly with the wider business and the board, CISOs can shift cybersecurity from a personal problem to a shared business venture. Communication can also help reduce misunderstandings, boost awareness and reduce friction across the business.
2. Improve on-call scheduling. On-call scheduling reduces the amount that CISOs must be 'always on' by laying out a clear schedule defining who responds to threats and when. This process allows CISOs to disconnect during out-of-work hours without the fear of missing a breach.
3. Join a peer network. Speaking to other CISOs and cybersecurity leaders or joining a cybersecurity community can help create connections with industry leaders who share the same issues. It can be a useful way to connect and lighten the mental load that comes with the role.
4. Prioritize automation. Automation can be a useful tool for CISOs looking to optimize their time spent on tasks, reducing overtime and stressful tasks. For example, automation can help speed up reporting, reduce human error and speed up response time.
5. Set priorities. The ability to define what is urgent and what is not is key for today's CISOs who want to balance their work with their mental health. Having protocols in place (including a tiered approach to a breach or alert, where only the most critical issues are escalated to the CISO) and ensuring that the business is aware and understands these protocols is a useful tool for prioritizing workloads.

How organizations can reduce burnout

Reducing the level of burnout within an organization should be a C-level priority. Businesses whose employees regularly experience burnout are less likely to be as productive, and this can cost businesses. According to the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, burnout and disengagement can cost organizations 0.2–2.9 times the average cost of health insurance. Similarly, the cost of the average manager experiencing burnout over the course of one year can cost the business $10,824.

Investing in resources to prevent burnout is essential for businesses today. Leaders can begin to do this by boosting compensation benefits, prioritizing work-life balance and encouraging open communication. Other strategies to reduce CISO burnout include:

1. Hiring executive support and encouraging shared accountability. By hiring executive support, businesses can help divide the weight of leadership, ensuring that each leader has an equal amount of responsibility and security accountability is distributed across the C-suite.
2. Investing in mental health support. When businesses begin to invest in mental health support, such as counselling services, leadership training and wellness tools, employees will feel cared for and understood. Stronger mental health support can lead to higher retention rates, a more inclusive culture and a sense of loyalty.
3. Increase budgets. When teams are under-resourced, burnout is more likely. 45% of respondents to a survey by Insights Association listed "inadequate resourcing" as a leading stressor that contributed to burnout. A higher budget provides leaders with the necessary tools, equipment and resources to tackle their work productively.
4. Risk quantification. For CISOs to be able to communicate cybersecurity decisions, quantifying risks into language that can be understood by the business, specifically in terms of financial losses and gains, can help give CISOs the necessary use and authority. 
5. Structural alignment. Role ambiguity, lack of authority and workload pressures contribute to CISO burnout. By clearly defining the CISO's role within the organization, expectations are aligned, providing CISOs with the ability and confidence to do their best work.

Why is it important for organizations to reduce CISO burnout

For CISOs to operate to the best of their ability, they must be able to balance their work-life with their mental health. Being a CISO means being responsible for the organization's digital safety, and in a world where there are threats around every corner, this responsibility has never been more important. 

CISOs are responsible for high-stakes decision-making, which affects the entire business ecosystem. These decisions should be made by someone who is mentally and emotionally ready and is not overwhelmed by poor working conditions. When employees experience burnout, they are more likely to look for a new role, and turnover can be extremely damaging and disruptive.

A burned-out CISO is more likely to miss key vulnerabilities than a CISO who feels comfortable and supported in their day-to-day roles. CISOs who experience burnout may overlook threats, leading to preventable breaches and higher running costs for the business. IBM's Cost of a Data Breach Report estimates that in 2024, the average breach cost $4.88 million. For businesses looking to maintain a strong reputation, reduce turnover and save money, prioritizing CISO well-being is essential.

Building sustainable security leadership

Businesses that prioritize CISO well-being are more likely to attract and retain the top security talent and reduce security incidents due to leadership gaps. Equally, with better alignment between security initiatives and business objectives, security becomes a business priority, and security incidents are less likely to occur, maintaining security program continuity.

The sustainability of your security leadership is a business imperative, not merely a concern for the HR team. As cyber threats continue to evolve, and cybercrime becomes more sophisticated, organizations must treat CISO well-being as a strategic priority with direct implications for business resilience, regulatory compliance and shareholder value.

Rosa Heaton is a content manager for the Learning Content group at Informa TechTarget.