Governance & Risk Management , Professional Certifications & Continuous Training

The Dark Side of Cybersecurity: Burnout

Veteran CISO Thom Langford on Life After Hitting Bottom
Thom Langford, founder, (TL)2

Call to action: Information security teams should "include mental health topics in their team meetings, their management reports and metrics, as well as face to face meetings," according to Thom Langford, head of security consultancy (TL)2.

See Also: SOC: Build vs. Buy - When Is It Right?

In February, Langford authored a personal blog post about his own mental health experiences, recounting the highs and lows of being a global CISO.

Langford took pride in building a high-performing, successful team that never said no, and helping his organization get its EU General Protection Regulation compliance program in place.

But the unrelenting position took a toll on his mental health. As he wrote: "Combine a tough travel schedule and the global, always-on element, I never truly switched off."

In a video interview with Information Security Media Group at RSA Conference 2019 in San Francisco, Langford expands on his experiences, discussing:

  • Why Langford's burnout story has been resonating with others;
  • Particular challenges facing members of the security community - an industry measured on failure and built on secrecy;
  • Mental health takeaways, including support from others.

Langford is the founder of (TL)2. Previously, he was CISO of Publicis Groupe (see CISO Thom Langford's Top Tips for GDPR Compliance).


About the Author

Mathew J. Schwartz

Mathew J. Schwartz

Executive Editor, DataBreachToday & Europe, ISMG

Schwartz is an award-winning journalist with two decades of experience in magazines, newspapers and electronic media. He has covered the information security and privacy sector throughout his career. Before joining Information Security Media Group in 2014, where he now serves as the executive editor, DataBreachToday and for European news coverage, Schwartz was the information security beat reporter for InformationWeek and a frequent contributor to DarkReading, among other publications. He lives in Scotland.




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