Cybermindz, an industry-led, not-for-profit dedicated to improving the mental health and well-being of cybersecurity professionals, will make its United Kingdom debut at a Mental Health in Cybersecurity Leadership Virtual Summit this Thursday (21st September 2023).

Cybermindz was formed in Australia in 2022 by industry veteran, Peter Coroneos, supported by mental health pioneers, to bring direct, measurable support to cyber teams.

“We are witnessing a slow burn in cyber, a silent mental health crisis. Every CISO we talk to will privately share their concerns for the wellbeing of their team. Sometimes, they will admit to their own struggles,” said Coroneos, an internationally recognised cyber industry leader and author.

“The potential impacts on an internet-exposed society from a depleted cyber defence workforce are self-evident, yet never discussed outside of the profession,” Coroneos added.

“With every major cyber incident, the pressure on cyber teams grows. We’re in a war of attrition with adversaries, and our numbers are not looking good,” he explained.

The severity of the threat to skills has been highlighted in recent research, including the Mimecast State of Ransomware Readiness Report, which found that 61% of UK respondents said ransomware attacks have a negative impact on their mental health, while 58% say their role gets more stressful every year.

Cybermindz predicts similar trend

The report found that 42% of UK cybersecurity decision-makers are thinking of leaving their role in the next two years due to stress or burnout. Cybermindz’ Australian national baseline research study predicts a similar trend.

Cybermindz works to alleviate the suffering of cyber teams, support mental wellness and peak performance through the implementation of the evidence-based Integrative Restoration (iRest) protocol, which has been successfully applied within military settings since 2004.

“Cybermindz’ program is based on our first hand experience within the cyber sector combined with a military-proven method of restoring emotional and cognitive wellbeing. Scalable, evidence-based, and measurable outcomes achieved through the application of a cyber-informed delivery of the protocol itself,” explained Mr Coroneos, who is also an iRest trained facilitator.

Mental health pioneer, Dr Richard Miller, who developed the protocol is a strong advocate of the Cybermindz program. “I’ve been delighted to witness the application of the iRest protocol into cybersecurity and the response it has received. Our past success supporting mental health in the US military and our track record with bringing iRest into a variety of domains in Australia, the US, and UK give us total confidence that it will be equally successful and well received by the UK cyber sector,” Dr Miller said.

Cyber leaders and experts welcome UK launch

“I’m really delighted that Cybermindz is coming to the UK, bringing the fantastic experience they’ve had in the US and Australia helping us in the cybersecurity profession to think about how we can can prioritise the mental wellbeing of our staff,” said Lindy Cameron CB OBE, CEO, National Cyber Security Centre

“As an industry, it’s vital that we do everything possible to help manage this stress and ensure people on the front lines have enough support to continue working in these critical roles,” said James Morgan, senior vice president EMEA, Mimecast*. “We’ve seen the incredible work that Cybermindz has done to care for security professionals in Australia and are proud to be part of their expansion into the UK”.

*Mimecast is a Cybermindz official UK launch partner

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