Technostress among Cybersecurity Professionals; Current Knowledge and Future Directions: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

Abstract: This systematic literature review (SLR) was carried out with the objective of comprehensively examining the current knowledge on technostress experienced by cybersecurity professionals and determining the gaps in literature and future research directions. Cybersecurity professionals are at an elevated risk of experiencing technostress because of the demanding nature of their work. These individuals experience several stress-inducing obstacles as they need to respond to security threats and incidents. The study examined the key technostress experienced by these professionals and how technostress affects the health and performance of these individuals. A search strategy including primary keywords “technostress” and “cybersecurity professionals” was used across different databases. After identifying studies relevant to these terms, the inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied to shortlist the studies that were appropriate for our research objectives. Five key drivers of technostress among cybersecurity professionals were identified. These included role ambiguity, high workload, job insecurity, lack of social support, and sleep quality. These stresses create high turnover rates among cybersecurity professionals, who quit their jobs because they are unable to cope with the role ambiguity, high workload, job insecurity, and evolving requirements of the field. Many employees also decide to change their fields and shift to another career. Technostress leads to burnout and strain, which adversely affects the job performance of employees as they are unable to remain productive in their work. The impact of technostress on cybersecurity professionals highlights the need for urgent interventions. By addressing the stressors and how they impact the cybersecurity workers, the health and well-being of these employees can increase, which would eventually lead to improvements in their performance and productivity. The study further discusses the theoretical and practical implications of the research and presents the direction for future research in this field.