Cyber roles in education are stabilizing, Educause survey shows

A paper published his week by the nonprofit Educause shows that turnover in cybersecurity roles remains low and fewer professionals are planning to leave their departments.

The survey found that two-thirds of 141 cybersecurity and privacy professionals working for higher education institutions saw little or no turnover in their departments last year. Only 25% of those surveyed said they were likely to apply to outside positions within the next year, a drop from 56% measured in 2023.

Top factors named by those who do plan to leave were insufficient pay and benefits, burnout and lack of support from the their leadership.

Flexible work arrangements, on the other hand, were cited as a key benefit in many roles. Some 78% of respondents said they were allowed to do hybrid work. Such arrangements were tied to boosts in work-life balance, job satisfaction, productivity and improved mental health.

Challenges still exist for cybersecurity and privacy professionals, though. The report cites unsustainable workloads and a lack of dedicated resources as top challenges faced by those surveyed.

“Additionally, rapid changes in technology and regulation—especially around AI—are outpacing institutional adaptation, which is hindered by slow governance processes and silos,” the paper reads. “Further, limited support from leadership, combined with rising cyber threats and political uncertainty, makes it challenging to build effective, secure, and compliant programs.”

The full paper can be found on Educause’s website.