Thought Leadership
According to a survey, security leaders call in sick or take time off on Patch Tuesday. 41 percent work overtime on this day.
Twenty-two percent of senior security leaders report having called in sick or deliberately taken time off to avoid Patch Tuesday, according to a survey conducted by British cybersecurity firm Socura. The survey exclusively polled executives such as Chief Security Officers, Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs), and heads of IT security who are directly responsible for their organizations’ security and update cycles. The reports do not disclose how many individuals participated or the time frame during which the survey was conducted.
On Patch Tuesday, the second Tuesday of each month, Microsoft and other vendors publish their accumulated security updates.
Overtime and Tension
Forty-one percent of respondents have worked overtime to cope with update cycles, while 37 percent have worked late into the night to deploy patches. Twenty-nine percent experience significant tension on the evening before Patch Tuesday. An equal share report being more irritable toward colleagues or family during that week. According to Socura, many leaders feel insufficiently supported by their organizations regarding staffing and resources.
“It speaks volumes about the unhealthy level of stress and burnout in our industry that cybersecurity leaders deliberately stay away from the office on what is their most consequential working day.”
Andrew Kays, CEO of Socura
Record Number of Security Vulnerabilities
The volume of updates continues to grow. In September, Microsoft alone resolved 966 security vulnerabilities, 105 of which were classified as critical. In May, Microsoft had warned that AI tools are uncovering significantly more vulnerabilities, potentially increasing operational demands. At the same time, 40 percent of respondents noted that AI handles routine tasks for them, creating more time for strategic work.
(Editorial Team)
