Undersized Cybersecurity Teams: A Hidden Risk to Digital Security

In today’s increasingly complex threat landscape, many organizations face a critical challenge: undersized and overstretched cybersecurity teams. These teams are often consumed by the day-to-day maintenance of cybersecurity infrastructure, leaving little time for the proactive tuning of security tools. This imbalance not only hinders the tools’ performance but also exposes organizations to heightened risks of cyberattacks.

The Problem of Tool Optimization

Cybersecurity tools require regular updates and tuning to address evolving threats effectively. While they provide powerful out-of-the-box functionality, their initial implementation for medium and large enterprises often results in a flood of alerts and events. This creates a significant burden on cybersecurity teams to analyze, configure, and tune these tools effectively.

However, with limited staff, teams often prioritize immediate threats and operational needs over strategic enhancements. This reactive approach can lead to misconfigured tools, underutilized features, and missed opportunities to integrate advanced capabilities which are vital in combating sophisticated threats.

Risks Associated with Under-Staffing

Under-resourced cybersecurity teams face significant challenges in mitigating threats, with critical implications for organizations. Here’s an analysis of the risks involved, supported by findings from cybersecurity experts:

1. Alert Fatigue: Security tools like SIEMs and endpoint protection systems can generate thousands of alerts daily, overwhelming teams and leading to desensitization or “alert fatigue.” This reduces the ability to discern genuine threats from false positives, increasing the likelihood of missing critical incidents. Notably, it has been cited as a contributing factor in high-profile breaches, such as the 2013 Target attack, where critical warnings went unaddressed amid alert overload​.
2. Burnout and Turnover: Persistent understaffing and excessive workloads contribute to cybersecurity team burnout, a well-documented issue. Burnt-out cybersecurity analysts often have slower response times and are more prone to mistakes, further elevating organizational risk. Prolonged stress can also lead to high employee turnover, which disrupts security operations and creates skill gaps​.
3. Compliance and Policy Management Delays: Teams stretched thin often struggle to implement and maintain compliance measures. This can lead to lapses in adhering to regulatory requirements such as GDPR, PCI-DSS, or HIPAA, exposing organizations to hefty fines and reputational damage​.
4. Increased Response Times: Resource constraints hinder incident response capabilities. Delays in detecting and responding to cyber threats allow attackers more time to infiltrate and cause damage, exacerbating the impact of breaches​.

Solutions to Address the Challenge

To effectively address the challenges posed by under-staffed cybersecurity teams, organizations can adopt a range of strategies. Here are some recommendations to help mitigate these issues:

1. Adopt KPIs and Monthly Reviews:
   • Implement clear Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that are aligned with both short-term tasks (e.g., response time, number of detected threats) and long-term outcomes (e.g., reduction in data breaches or system vulnerabilities).
   • Hold monthly reviews to track progress on these KPIs, identify underperforming areas, and reallocate resources where necessary. This regular assessment ensures that any resource gaps are identified early, allowing for timely interventions and better management of team workloads​
2. Adopt a Process to Estimate the Size of the Cybersecurity Team:
   • Implement a structured process to estimate the cybersecurity team size based on factors like the number of tools in use, endpoints, and the scope of ongoing initiatives (e.g., audits, incident response).
   • Use industry benchmarks or custom models to evaluate whether current staffing levels are adequate for the organization’s scale and complexity. This approach helps ensure that staffing levels are sufficient to cover all security needs​
3. Invest in Workforce Training:
   • Regularly invest in continuous training for cybersecurity staff, focusing on both technical skills (e.g., threat analysis, tool optimization) and broader security awareness (e.g., regulatory compliance, emerging threats).
   • A well-trained workforce is more effective in responding to incidents, managing security tools, and adapting to new threats. Training also helps reduce errors, improve efficiency, and increase team confidence​
4. Prioritize Tool Optimization:
   • Optimize security tools to ensure they are configured to meet the organization’s needs without generating excessive alerts or false positives. This includes refining detection rules, setting up exception lists, and ensuring tools integrate well with other security systems.
   • Regular optimization reduces the time spent managing alerts, helping teams focus on genuine threats and improving overall system effectiveness

About the author: Rafael Bayona is an EDGE senior cybersecurity advisor with over 17 years of IT consulting and cybersecurity advisory expertise. Recently, he has been working with healthcare organizations to optimize their cybersecurity solutions, boost productivity through tool integrations, and migrations to SaaS security solutions. Rafael has several cybersecurity certifications, such as GIAC Incident Handler, CrowdStrike Certified Falcon Administrator, and CyberArk EPM Administrator.

Endnotes:

1. Gartner Peer Community; “Cybersecurity Employee Burnout: Causes and Prevention Strategies,” https://www.gartner.com/peer-community/oneminuteinsights/omi-cybersecurity-employee-burnout-causes-prevention-strategies-uav
2. Heidi Shey; “Predictions 2023: Security Pros Face Greater Internal Risks,” Forrester Featured Blog, 31 October 2022, https://www.forrester.com/blogs/predictions-2023-security/