Cybersecurity leaders working 10-plus extra hours per week on average

The average cybersecurity leader in the United States is working more than 10 hours of overtime each week as AI introduces new responsibilities and expectations, Seemplicity reported Tuesday.

The 2026 State of the Cybersecurity Workforce Report revealed the results of a survey of 300 U.S. cybersecurity and information technology (IT) leaders conducted by Sapio Research on behalf of Seemplicity. Respondents included cybersecurity managers, directors, department heads, vice presidents and C-level executives such as chief information security officers (CISOs).

A large proportion of cybersecurity leaders reported working the equivalent of a six-day work week as a result of overtime, with the average respondent working 10.8 extra hours per week. Nearly half, 45%, worked 11 or more extra hours per week, and 20% worked 16 or more hours in overtime.

Despite high levels of stress and burnout, with 44% of respondents saying their job feels more emotionally exhausting than rewarding, and 32% saying they regularly dread going to work, 94% of leaders said they would still choose cybersecurity if given a chance to switch careers.

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A potential factor driving extra hours of work among cybersecurity leaders is an expansion of responsibilities due to the introduction of AI, which has led to a priority shift away from technical skills towards AI governance, communications and applying cybersecurity to business strategy.

“For years, the industry tried to solve every problem by adding more tools, more alerts, and more people. AI is changing that model. It’s forcing a shift toward smarter prioritization, clearer ownership, and leaders who can translate technical risk into business decisions,” said Yoran Sirkis, CEO of Seemplicity, in a statement.

A majority, 89%, of survey respondents said they are now tackling greater responsibilities in areas such as networking and business strategy than they have in previous years. Additionally, 85% said they feel pressure to strengthen their business, interpersonal and communication skills as a direct result of AI adoption, the report states.

Nearly three-quarters of leaders, 73%, said AI oversight and governance will be a defining feature of cybersecurity leadership in the future, compared with 68% who said technological and engineering prowess will be a defining feature. And 82% said “people skills” were more important to their effectiveness as a cyber leader now than they were five years ago.

In terms of financial support with regard to AI, nearly two-thirds of respondents, 64%, said they had a sufficient budget to implement necessary AI capabilities. However, more than half, 52%, felt their organization was not making sufficient investments in training for human-AI collaboration.

Although AI adoption in cybersecurity comes with new challenges, only 1% of respondents said they do not trust AI. The top factor that gave leaders trust in AI was consistent and measurable accuracy over time, cited by 62% of respondents, followed by clear accountability and human override controls (54%), transparent explanations of how decisions are made (54%) and consistent, measurable results and return on investment (53%).

Ravid Circus, chief product officer at Seemplicity, concluded with a message for organizations to address the burden on cybersecurity leaders through greater operational efficiency.

“Until organizations hardwire ownership, automate prioritization, and reduce the daily judgement load placed on security leaders, they’re not managing exposure; they’re relying on exhausted humans to hold the system together,” Circus stated.