Episode #081: Burnout by Budget Season: Surviving Q4 in Security

Episode #081: Burnout by Budget Season: Surviving Q4 in Security

From Relating to DevSecOps by Ken Toler and Mike McCabe

October 29, 2025 · 22 min · Season 1 · Episode 81

About this episode

Ken and Mike discuss the challenges and stress faced by security professionals during the chaotic Q4 budget season.

Send us Fan Mail In this candid and cathartic episode, Ken and Mike unpack the chaos that is Q4 for security professionals. From budget burnouts to end-of-year pentesting sprints, they explore why the final months of the year feel like a perfect storm for stress. Tune in as they share hard-earned lessons, practical advice for maintaining your sanity, and some gentle reminders that not everything needs to ship before Christmas. Whether you’re a tired vendor, an overwhelmed engineer, or just tr...

People in this episode

Hosts: Ken Toler, Mike McCabe

Topics covered

  • burnout
  • budget season
  • security professionals
  • stress management
  • pentesting
  • year-end chaos

Keywords

  • burnout
  • budget
  • Q4
  • security
  • pentesting
  • stress
  • advice

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Q4, Christmas

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