Is Job Stress the Biggest Challenge in Information Security?

Last Updated on January 15, 2024

Our show, The Virtual CISO Podcast, has attempted to shed considerable light on what it takes to be an effective CISO. But there’s one factor that’s far more important than any other to any information security professional’s effectiveness: Are you still alive?
Dead CISOs can’t help their companies stay secure. Nor can they “be there” for their loved ones. Why point out something so blatantly obvious? Because of the obvious fact that ours is an incredibly stressful profession. According to the latest CISO Stress Report, 88% of CISOs report being moderately or tremendously stressed—and stress is a major cause of disease and death.
In particular, about 647,000 Americans die annually from heart disease, or one person every 37 seconds. Heart disease is the single biggest cause of death for both men and women, accounting for roughly 25% of all deaths. The negative physiological and psychological effects of stress are perhaps the biggest factors contributing to heart disease.

Not to minimize the impact of the current COVID-19 pandemic, but many, many more people will die from heart disease than from coronavirus in the coming weeks and months. Further, people with heart disease are among those most at risk from coronavirus.
In short, because our lives are what we—and those who employ us—value most, preserving our health is highly relevant to overstressed CISOs and other InfoSec professionals. That’s why we invited Dr. Joel Kahn to join us on the Virtual CISO Podcast.
Among the world’s foremost cardiologists, Dr. Kahn is a popular speaker, the author of six books and an expert on the effects of a “plant-forward” diet and other simple lifestyle changes on preventing and even reversing chronic disease associated with aging. (He’s also a podcast host and John Verry’s cardiologist.)
Dr. Kahn’s holistic approach to diagnosis, prevention and recovery has enabled him to avert thousands of heart attacks. Check out this podcast and yours might be among them!
We think you’ll agree that this is one of the most practical, accessible and compelling discussions on managing stress and preventing heart disease that you’ll find anywhere. (Don’t forget to share this life saving information with your colleagues.)
Meanwhile, connecting with Pivot Point Security to get guidance and expert support to meet your information security goals could also be a great stress reliever!
For more information:

• Dead Execs Don’t Get Bonuses, one of Dr. Kahn’s books
• Kahn’s LinkedIn profile
• #kahnchronicle for curated news on health and wellness advances
• Running On Empty: The CISO Burnout Cure (in Forbes)
• The CISO Job and Its Short Tenure (in Forbes)