Thriving cyber security professionals: Building a resilient workforce and psychological safety in the federal government

Cybersecurity professionals in the federal government work on complex problems in organizations where they have multiple competing roles. In addition, the gap between workers with cyber skills and job openings
means that current cybersecurity professionals must carry a heavy load. Combined, this can lead to stress that has negative consequences for their well-being. Positive psychology can help address this, particularly through enhancing positive experiences, leveraging character strengths, developing resilience skills, and building psychological safety. Resilience skills help cybersecurity professionals increase capacity their capacity to deal with uncertainty and build strong teams. Psychological safety supports and environment of innovation and professional development. These strategies are accessible ways for cybersecurity professionals to thrive in their work, improving their well-being as well as their ability to better address the emergent threats of a volatile world.