In the "too good to pass up on" category we find an article by Iain Thomson in El Reg regarding a survey of stress levels among IT security staff. Iain reports on Jack Daniel's (founder of the Security B-Sides conference) well attended presentation at RSA this morning. The article and the findings speak for themselves, but I had to share one quote with apologies in advance to any CSOs in the readership to whom this may be applicable. Josh Corman, regarding some of the stress-causing factors for security professionals indicated that management is likely part of the problem and suggested the following:

"As an experiment, explain to your children what it is you're trying to explain to your chief security officer. If they get it and he doesn't, then the problem isn't with you."

For the record, I haven't encountered this personally in more than five years (I count myself among the lucky). That said, I have a few friends in the consulting industry who have a much higher ratio of minion to CSO contact than most and have absolute horror stories to share. So let's hear a few, ye who count yourselves as those on the "ragged edge of burnout and cynicism." A few ground rules, and they are absolute: no bad language, no personal or business names, no false statements or exaggeration. As Sgt. Joe Friday said, "Just the facts, ma'am." The comments form is open...

Russ McRee @holisticinfosec