We model threats against our networks with rigor, then ignore the most predictable failure mode in the building: the exhausted human holding the pager. Burnout is not a wellness footnote. It is dwell time, alert fatigue, missed signals, and attrition that walks institutional knowledge out the door. In this session I draw on nearly thirty years in security operations and on validated instruments like the Maslach Burnout Inventory to show how to treat burnout as measurable operational risk. You will see how to baseline fatigue across a SOC, spot the leading indicators before resignation letters arrive, and build prevention into staffing, on-call, and incident response rather than bolting it on after a crisis. The goal is a security program that stays sharp under sustained pressure, because resilient systems depend on resilient people.

Learning objectives for attendees:
1. Frame burnout as quantifiable operational risk tied directly to detection, response, and retention outcomes.
2. Baseline and track fatigue across a security team without invasive surveillance.
3. Identify the leading indicators of burnout early enough to intervene.
4. Build prevention into on-call rotations, staffing, and incident response playbooks, with board-ready language to fund it.