By Dr. Bianca Baker-Eck: Criminal/Cyber Psychologist & Associate Consultant at Monarch ISC, Inc.

The number of hacking incidents against US companies has increased significantly in recent years[1]. The impact of these hacking incidents can be significant, and even devastating, for the companies affected, their personnel, and their customers. Such attacks can lead to the obvious impacts, including theft of sensitive data, financial losses, and damage to the company’s reputation. What we rarely -if ever- address are the psychological repercussions to the employees of hacked companies.

When a company is hacked, it can have a significant impact on the psychological well-being of its employees:

1. Fear and anxiety may be experienced over the security breach itself, as it can cause uncertainty and instability in the workplace. Employees may worry about the safety of their personal information, their job security, and the overall reputation of the company.
2. The stress accompanied with a hack will certainly increase as the aftermath of a hack may require employees to work long hours to mitigate the damage caused by the breach. This can lead to fatigue and burnout, which can have long-term consequences for their mental health.
3. Anger and frustration (or other heightened emotions) can be felt towards management which can lead to loss of trust in the company and its leadership.
4. Guilt and shame can particularly be present when an employee may have been (indirectly) involved in the security breach, which can be especially difficult if their mistake caused the company or its customers harm.
5. Loss of confidence in their own abilities, as well as in the company’s ability to protect its data. This can lead to decreased productivity and job satisfaction. Because there is such an array of psychological side effects that may present themselves, it may be beneficial to have a debriefing specialist (like a psychologist) come in to process the individual and group experiences.

There are various ways to help combat these psychological effects:

1. Education and training before an incident ever occurs.
2. Encourage open communication among employees about cybersecurity.
3. Provide employee support during the attack and the aftermath.
4. Focus on positive solutions rather than the negative effects of hacking.  This encourages employees to learn from the experience and take proactive steps to improve cybersecurity
5. Foster a culture of security. Everyone has a part to play.

This article seeks to spread awareness of this growing phenomenon. There is a lot more to know about what psychological side effects may occur, developing strategies and tactics to manage incidents, and preventative measures to take in order to reduce the intensity of an impact if a company falls victim to a cyber-attack. For more information about the many dimensions of cybersecurity incident management, please contact Monarch ISC, Inc.

[1] https://www.forbes.com/sites/chuckbrooks/2022/01/21/cybersecurity-in-2022–a-fresh-look-at-some-very-alarming-stats/?sh=777dc3776b61