SBTechnical Marketing Writer
Cyber threats are outpacing most organizations' ability to manage them, and the pressure is falling directly on IT and security teams. As Cybersecurity Awareness Month begins this October, new survey results from Object First show how this strain is affecting both performance and mental well-being.
The rising pressure on IT and security teams
Object First’s second annual Under Pressure: Mental Health Challenges in IT & Security Roles survey highlights how widespread stress has become among IT and security professionals. The survey was conducted in July 2026 in partnership with Dynata and includes responses from 1,100 IT and security professionals across the United States, United Kingdom, and Germany, spanning entry-level, mid-level, senior, executive, and consulting roles. The findings reflect a workforce under growing strain as cyber threats become more advanced and recovery expectations continue to rise.
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91% say they are uncomfortably stressed at work over security risks, up from 84% last year
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50% cite cyberattack risk and 50% cite understaffing or high workloads as leading stressors
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74% say recovery tools are too complicated without deep security expertise
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Only 37% feel confident they could fully recover company data after ransomware
These numbers show how quickly pressure is building and how much uncertainty teams are facing.
How AI is making ransomware more powerful
AI is helping IT teams work more efficiently, but it is also making cyber threats more dangerous. Bad actors are using AI to automate phishing, generate deepfakes, deploy intelligent malware, and adapt ransomware behavior in real time. This means ransomware can spread faster, identify valuable data more accurately, and evade traditional detection methods. As a result, IT teams must respond to threats that evolve more quickly than the tools they rely on, contributing to rising stress levels. Our latest survey reflects this shift, with 70% reporting increased stress due to AI-powered attacks and only 24% feeling their organization is equipped to handle them.
As these pressures grow, organizations are looking for ways to strengthen resilience and give teams more confidence in their backup strategy during ransomware attacks.
Cybersecurity challenges are affecting mental health
The strain of defending against modern cyber threats reaches far beyond technical tasks. According to Cybercrime Magazine, cybersecurity professionals often experience anxiety, depression, PTSD, and burnout, especially those working in digital forensics and incident response (DFIR), Open-source intelligence (OSINT), and investigative roles. Research from the National Library of Medicine shows that breaches involving sensitive data can trigger trauma, insomnia, paranoia, and long term psychological harm.
Even common incidents such as phishing or account compromise can create fear, embarrassment, and uncertainty. These events can disrupt a person’s sense of safety and control, often affecting academic, professional, and personal relationships.
Stress also affects job performance. In our latest survey we found that:
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78% say workplace stress harms their performance
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42% feel pressure from leadership to fix everything after an incident
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19% feel hopeless or overwhelmed during or after a security event
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59% say their company does not consistently prioritize employee wellbeing
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60% have considered or are actively looking for new jobs due to stress
Cybersecurity Awareness Month is a reminder that resilience depends on people as much as technology. In order to provide a free resource for users offering practical recovery guidance, Object First and Cybermindz released a short video highlighting rising stress and burnout in IT. They also provide resources, including: burnout‑identification tools, stress‑management resources, and complimentary access to the iRest Protocol—a simple, research‑backed 10‑step practice designed to reduce stress and improve focus and sleep.
Strengthening resilience through simplicity and certainty
Technology also plays a meaningful role in reducing stress. When recovery tools are complicated or unreliable, pressure increases. Object First’s survey shows that 86% of IT professionals say absolutely immutable backups would reduce their stress.
Object First delivers secure, simple, powerful on-premises backup storage designed to give teams confidence when it matters most. With Absolute Immutability, backup data cannot be changed or deleted, even by privileged admins or attackers. This reduces complexity, strengthens recovery readiness, and helps teams focus on business priorities instead of troubleshooting fragile infrastructure.
Cybersecurity Awareness Month is an opportunity to reinforce a simple truth. Resilience is built on both strong technology and strong people. As threats grow, organizations must invest in solutions that protect data and support the well-being of the teams who safeguard it. Absolute Immutability helps IT professionals stay confident, focused, and resilient, enabling them to protect their organizations without sacrificing their mental health.