There’s a serious problem quietly undermining many organizations—cybersecurity fatigue. It’s the feeling of being completely overwhelmed by endless rules, alerts, and passwords. And while it may seem harmless, the consequences are far-reaching.
To address the issue, you first need to recognize the symptoms. Some common signs include:
These aren’t signs of bad employees—they’re signs of exhausted ones. Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) define cybersecurity fatigue as the burnout caused by being on constant alert. Ironically, this often leads employees to disengage from the very practices meant to keep them safe.
As one NIST study participant put it, security can start to feel like “just something else to have and keep up with.” In other words, it becomes less of a shield and more of a burden.
The root causes are surprisingly familiar:
When security feels like it gets in the way of work, employees naturally seek shortcuts. It’s rarely malicious—it’s human nature. But these shortcuts can create vulnerabilities.
The stakes couldn’t be higher. The average cost of a U.S. data breach is $9.44 million. And over half (52%) of breaches are tied to human error or behavior. That means fatigue-driven mistakes directly translate into multimillion-dollar risks.
This isn’t an isolated issue. A Harvard Business Review study found that two-thirds of employees admit to breaking cybersecurity rules—mostly because those rules made their work harder. Fatigue, therefore, is a systemic business risk.
The good news is that this problem is absolutely solvable. Here’s a four-part strategy:
Culture change starts at the top. Leaders must set the example, encourage transparency, and replace blame with teachable moments. Recognize wins, like spotting phishing attempts, and invite employees to help shape better policies.
The secure way should also be the easiest way. For example:
Traditional annual slide decks don’t work. Instead, adopt continuous, bite-sized, engaging learning. Use stories, humor, games, and challenges to boost participation. Studies show 83% of employees feel more motivated with gamified training, compared to only 28% with traditional methods.
Avoid jargon. Show employees how security protects the company’s future, their team’s safety, and even their personal information. When people understand the purpose behind the rules, fatigue turns into motivation.
This isn’t about a one-time fix. It’s about a long-term cultural shift toward resilience. For too long, people have been labeled the “weakest link” in cybersecurity. But with the right tools, culture, and training, employees can become an organization’s strongest line of defense.
So here’s the question to reflect on: Is your organization empowering people to be defenders, or exhausting them into risky shortcuts? The answer could be worth millions.