1. Burnout Dan Ward p0lr@p0lr.org

2. What is Burnout? “Burnout is a prolonged response to chronic emotional and interpersonal stressors on the job, and is defined by the three dimensions of exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficacy.” Excerpted from Maslach, C., Schaufeli, W.B., and Leiter, M.P, Annual Review of Psychology, V.52, 2001,pp.397-422 “the failure of the existential quest”—that moment when we wake up one morning and realize that what we’re doing has appallingly little value. Ayala Pines - Excerpted from http://nymag.com/news/features/24757http://nymag.com/news/features/24757 “the gap between expectation and reward” Alden Cass - Excerpted from http://nymag.com/news/features/24757http://nymag.com/news/features/24757 “Burnout is a psychological term that refers to long-term exhaustion and diminished interest in work.” Excerpted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burnout_(psychology)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burnout_(psychology)

3. Why Do We Talk About Burnout? The roof, the roof, the roof is on fire… Burnout has become a high-profile issue in the infosec community @secburnout team raised this issue early on…Security BSides Las Vegas, 2011 ◦ (McKeay, Corman, Thayer, Yerrid, Shpantzer, Daniel) ◦ http://www.slideshare.net/secburnout/burnout-in-information-security …And it continues to be a problem

4. Why Do We Talk About Burnout? Early identification is the key to prevention & recovery http://www.cio.co.uk/news/security/stress-burnout-hazard-in-infosec-careers/ http://www.businesscomputingworld.co.uk/it-security-professionals-are-facing-burnout-risk/ 1. The personality that excels at information security is also highly susceptible to burnout 2. We’re not exactly a humble or social bunch ◦ Symptoms may manifest differently and, therefore, not be recognized. ◦ Reaching out for help is difficult 3. You may be more burned out than you realize

5. Stages of Burnout 1. The Compulsion to Prove Oneself 2. Working Harder 3. Neglecting Needs 4. Displacement of Conflicts 5. Revision of Values 6. Denial of Emerging Problems 7. Withdrawal 8. Obvious Behavioral Changes 9. Depersonalization 10. Inner Emptiness 11. Depression 12. Burnout http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burnout_(psychology) Employer loves you Employer tolerates you Employer acts Escalation of burnout

6. Causes of Burnout “Imagine investigating the personality of cucumbers to discover why they had turned into sour pickles without analyzing the vinegar barrels in which they’d been submerged!” Christine Maslach - Excerpted from http://nymag.com/news/features/24757http://nymag.com/news/features/24757 Working too much Unjust environments Little support Working where you feel unable to effect change Serving values you loath Insufficient reward (whether the currency is money, prestige, or positive feedback)

7. InfoSec Burnout Survey Results 0 – Never 1 – A few times a year or less 2 – Once a month or less 3 – A few times a month 4 – Once a week 5 – A few times a week 6 – Every day Maslach Burnout Indicator (MBI)

8. InfoSec Burnout Survey Results 1 – Strongly Disagree 2 – Disagree 3 – Hard to Decide 4 – Agree 5 – Strongly Agree Areas of Worklife Survey (AWS)

9. Burnout “First Aid Kit” 1.Realize there is a problem 2.Determine why there is a problem Start with expectations and commitments 3.Make small changes Can you reset or renegotiate expectations? Can you gracefully rescind commitments? 4.Take care of yourself Sleep Diet Exercise 5.Enforce downtime 6.Find a purpose outside of work

10. Additional proactive steps 1.What is your “first alert”? (Personal danger signs & triggers) Danger signs: What are your stress habits (eating, drinking, being rude) Triggers: Too many assignments, office politics, comments from co-workers, boss, friends 2.Enlist your own personal EMT crew People you trust to identify your danger zone Give them a list of triage tricks 3.Share your “get-well” plans Asking for help, helps Helping others, also helps Strengthening connections = key

11. Burnout: Long-term Management 1.Examine things outside of work that may be contributing to stress and burnout 2.Examine your job role and your career ensuring that they fit your personality and natural talents 3.Examine your employer and your community to ensure that you share common values 4.As you discover areas of stress and conflict, start building longer-term plans to resolve them. 5.As you implement larger changes, check back periodically to make sure things are improving and adjust your plans accordingly 6.Once you create a more compatible work life, perform burnout self-checks to make sure you don’t recreate the problems that drove you to unhappiness.

12. For More Information http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/qf/burnout_qt/what_is_burnout.pdf http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/burnout/WL00062/ http://www.helpguide.org/mental/burnout_signs_symptoms.htm http://www.stressdoc.com/four_stages_burnbout.htm http://www.slideshare.net/secburnout/burnout-in-information-security http://nymag.com/news/features/24757/