Gallery Presentation International Positive Psychology Association 7th IPPA World Congress 2021

Thriving Cybersecurity Professionals: Building a Resilient Workforce and Psychological Safety in the US Federal Government (#214)

Rephael Houston 1
  1. RAND Corporation, Silver Spring, MD, United States

Volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA) describes the current geopolitical world, which is increasingly evident in cyberattacks such as SolarWinds. Cybersecurity professionals in the US federal government work on these complex problems. The gap in workers with cyber skills and job openings means that current cybersecurity professionals are often in understaffed organizations.  These factors combined can lead to stress that has negative consequences for their wellbeing. It also could be that this why there is a  higher attrition rate with cybersecurity professionals than non-cybersecurity-focused employees. Positive psychology has useful tools to address retention and wellbeing issues that are facing organizations with cybersecurity professionals. Through developing resilience skills such as enhancing positive experiences (gratitude), leveraging character strengths (putting values in action), cognitive framing, active constructive response, and building psychological safety within organizations.  These strategies are accessible ways for cybersecurity professionals to thrive in their work, improving their wellbeing, stay in their roles, making them better at addressing the emergent threats of a volatile world. 

  1. https://repository.upenn.edu/mapp_capstone/172/
  2. https://www.zdnet.com/article/cybersecurity-staff-burnout-risks-leaving-organisations-vulnerable-to-cyberattacks/
  • Keywords: Business and Organizations, Resilience and Posttraumatic Growth