IT Execs: Job is More Stressful Than Divorce

What's more stressful than a divorce, personal debt or a minor car accident? It may be your IT job, according to new research by Websense.

The survey of 1,000 IT managers and 1,000 non-IT employees in the U.S., UK, Canada and Australia found that serious data breaches have occurred compromising CEO and other executives' data, confidential consumer data and data necessary for regulatory compliance.

For example, 24 percent reported that the CEO's or other executives' confidential data had been breached, while 34 percent report losing data needed for compliance. Thirty-four percent said that confidential information had been posted on a social networking site, and 37 percent said data had been lost by employees.

These data breaches and the potential for more have put even more pressure on IT workers, the study found. Eighty-six percent said their job would be at risk if a security incident were to occur. And 72 percent say protecting company data is more stressful than getting a divorce, managing personal debt or being in a minor car accident. Fourteen percent actually say losing their job would be less stressful than staying in their current role.

Interestingly, both IT and non-IT employees place protection against Internet security threats as the third most important employee "right" in the workplace, following a proper lunch break and coffee breaks.

The good news is that top managers are becoming more involved in data security and organizations are ramping up IT planning, relieving some of the pressure for IT workers. More than 90 percent of IT managers said that new levels of management have engaged in data security conversations in the last year. More than 60 percent of IT managers also say that recent well-publicized security incidents have affected their planning, including making changes like increasing spending, implementing new user restrictions and overhauling existing policies, the study found.

How stressful is your IT job?