Recognition for Security Teams Running On Empty

Security teams rarely get noticed when things go right. A quiet night in the security operations center looks like nothing happened. Yet that quiet is the product of skill, long hours and constant learning.

Alt text: Colleagues with laptops listening to a speaker during a meeting around a wooden table

The strain is showing, and recognition is one of the few levers that does not need a new budget line. Military units and first responders often mark hard moments with a coin. Today, Challenge Coins 4 Less makes custom challenge coins for those groups and for businesses and organizations too. For a CIO, the coin matters less than the habit behind it: noticing the work that prevented the headline.

How Stretched Are Security Teams In 2026?

The most detailed picture comes from the 2025 ISC2 workforce study, based on 16,029 practitioners and decision-makers. Almost half (48%) said they feel exhausted from trying to stay current on threats and emerging technologies. Another 47% said they often feel overwhelmed by their workload.

Skills pressure is rising too. In 2025, 59% of respondents reported critical or significant skills needs, up from 44% in 2024. AI was the most pressing need, cited by 41%.

The cost of those gaps is real. ISC2 found that 88% of respondents had experienced at least one significant security consequence because of a skills deficiency. Budget pressure has eased only slightly, with 36% still reporting cuts.

For leaders, this means the team is doing more with less while the stakes keep rising. One weak response can now carry a record privacy fine. South Korea's regulator set Coupang's penalty at 624.68 billion won, about USD 409 million, a decision the company plans to challenge.

What Keeps Security Professionals Engaged?

The same study asked what organizations do that actually drives engagement. The answers are revealing, because several cost little or nothing:

1. Allocating budget for professional development, cited by 35%.
2. Listening to and acting on advice from employees, cited by 30%.
3. Celebrating individual and organizational successes, cited by 29%.
4. Creating an inclusive environment, also cited by 29%.
5. Offering flexible working arrangements, which 42% said their employers provide.

Satisfaction also depends on which layer of the company people are judging. Respondents were 78% satisfied with their teams and 73% with their direct managers. That fell to 63% when they rated their organization's leadership.

That gap is a leadership problem, not a team problem. Recognition that comes from the top, and names specific work, is one of the clearest ways to close it.

None of this replaces fair pay or proper staffing. ISC2 respondents also named insufficient pay and a lack of career growth among the issues hurting satisfaction. Recognition works alongside those fixes, not instead of them. It is simply the fastest one to start.

Why Should CIOs Watch the Wider Tech Talent Market?

Security talent does not sit in a separate pool. It competes with every other technology role. CompTIA's State of the Tech Workforce puts US net tech employment at about 9.6 million workers in 2025.

CompTIA projects growth of 1.9% in 2026, taking the total to about 9.8 million. It also expects a replacement rate of around 6% a year, or about 323,000 workers leaving or retiring annually.

Those figures mean steady competition for experienced people. ISC2 found that 75% of security staff expect to stay with their employer for the next 12 months. That share drops to 66% over two years. Every point of that drop is a retention risk a leader can influence.

Which Security Moments Deserve Formal Recognition?

Not every ticket closed deserves a ceremony. The table below lists moments that usually do, and why.

Testing culture has spread well beyond security vendors. Even AI labs now run capture-the-flag exercises to probe what their models can do. Teams that compete in these events earn a story worth marking.

How Can IT Leaders Build Recognition Into Security Operations?

Recognition works best when it is part of the operating rhythm rather than an afterthought. Practical steps include:

• Add a "who made this work" line to every post-incident review.
• Ask managers to log one specific piece of thanks each week.
• Mark certifications and course completions in team channels.
• Give the same token to everyone on a hard incident, not just the lead.
• Review recognition gaps when engagement surveys come back.

Alt text: Four coworkers smiling as they review work together on a laptop at a shared table

Some security professionals arrive from the military, where coins and unit traditions are familiar. ISC2 found that 3% entered the field through military backgrounds. For them, a coin from leadership can carry real weight.

Turning Post-Incident Reviews Into Moments of Thanks

Post-incident reviews usually focus on root causes and fixes. That focus is right, but it leaves out the people who held the line. A short closing section can change that:

• Name the people who detected, escalated and contained the issue.
• Describe what their actions prevented, in plain business terms.
• Agree on how the team will mark the work before the review ends.

A review that ends with thanks also makes people more willing to report early next time.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Many Security Professionals Report Burnout Symptoms?

In the 2025 ISC2 study, 48% said they feel exhausted from trying to stay current on threats. Another 47% said they often feel overwhelmed by their workload. Both figures point to a workforce under steady strain.

Does Celebrating Success Really Affect Engagement?

ISC2 found that 29% of respondents named celebrating individual and organizational successes as an engagement driver. That puts it close to listening to employee advice, at 30%. It is also one of the cheapest actions available.

Why Do Some Security Teams Use Coins for Recognition?

Some security professionals come from the military, where unit coins are a familiar way to mark service. ISC2 found that 3% of respondents entered cybersecurity through military backgrounds. A coin from leadership gives a hard incident a lasting, physical reminder.

When Should a CIO Recognize the Security Team?

Good moments include a contained incident, a clean audit or a new certification. The best recognition names specific work and comes soon after the event. Regular, small thanks matter as much as rare, larger gestures.