A presentation given to The SABSA Institute's COSAC APAC 2019 conference around the issue of mental health in our profession, our organisations, and the stakeholders we interact with on a daily basis. A call-to-action for us all to think about how our professional and personal roles impacts our own mental health ... and how mental heath issues impact all of our professional and personal roles.

1. MentalHealthandtheInformationSecurityCommunity:
WeNeedToTalk
Simon Harvey | @pingudownunder | linkedin.com/in/simonharvey
APAC 2019

2. TLP:GREEN
CHATHAM HOUSE RULES FOR ANYTHING
SAID OR SHARED BY THE AUDIENCE
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3. TheLawyersMadeMeSayThis
I’m really scared of having to fill out the forms
Who am I?
• Architect Answer: ”it depends”
• I’m a “normal” InfoSec Consultant/Architect.
• Completed some Mental Health First Aid Training
(MHFA Australia).
• I’m not a medical or mental health professional.
• Advice and examples, if any, are general in
nature and intended as such.
• If you are affected by this topic, please seek
advice.
• Your Doctor
• Contacts on the final slide
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Should I be talking about this?
SOURCE: TWITTER

4. CorporateAffairsMadeMeSayThis
plus, I’m really scared of having to fill the HR forms
• All views are my own, based upon personal
observations and experience.
• I am not representing anyone else, including,
but not limited to:
• my employer, past, present or future
• any organisation I volunteer for
• anyone mentioned in this talk
• my cat
• anyone else.
• The buck stops with me.
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5. WhatisaMentalHealthIssue?
How’s that different to a Mental Health Illness?
Mental Health Issue
• A decline of “Good” Mental Health
• Symptoms of mental health becoming poorer
• Some symptoms of Mental Illness
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Mental Illness
• A diagnosable medical condition by a qualified
medical professional that causes disability
• Affects a person’s thinking, emotional state and
behaviour
“Disrupts the persons ability to work, carry out daily activities and engage in satisfying
personal relationships”
– World Health Organisation
SOURCES: ABS.NATIONAL SURVEY OF MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING 2007; AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF HEALTH AND WELFARE STUDY,
2011; MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID AUSTRALIA TRAINING / MANUAL 4TH ED.

6. WhatisaMentalHealthIssue?
Illustrative Examples
Poor Mental Health
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Mental Illness
SOURCE: MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID AUSTRALIA TRAINING / MANUAL 4TH ED.
Well
Becoming
Unwell
Unwell
Illness
/ Crisis
😱😕
• Depression
• Suicidal thoughts
• Anxiety
• Psychosis
• Substance use
• Alcohol
• Drugs
• Prescription Medications
• Gambling problems
• Eating disorders
• Severe Depression
• Self-injury
• Suicidal thoughts & behaviours
• Severe panic attacks
• Post-traumatic events
• Aggressive behaviours
• Severe psychotic states
• Severe effects from alcohol use
• Severe effects from drug use
• Psychological addiction
Frequency, Duration & Severity

7. IsthisjustanissueinInformationSecurity?
No. #straya
• 3rd biggest cause if “disease burden” in
Australia
• “cause of Premature Death of
Disability”
• second only to Cardiovascular
Disease/Cancer
• Biggest cause of Disability … by far
• Top 3 Affected Industries:
• 1) Professional Services
• 2) Hospitality
• 3) Everyone below 25 years old.
SOURCES: ABS.NATIONAL SURVEY OF MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING 2007;
AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF HEALTH AND WELFARE STUDY, 2011
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Males Females
Anxiety Disorders 10.8% 17.9%
Depressive/Bipolar
Disorders
5.3% 7.1%
Substance Use
Disorders
7% 3.3%
Common Mental
Illnesses
17.6% 22.3%

8. Why?
Example Driving Forces
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• Personality Types
• Nature of the work we we do?
• Red vs. Blue?
• Focus on “negative" Risk Management
• Consulting & Management & Operations
• Our little silo …
• Cyber Cyber Cyber Cyber Cyber Cyber
• Regulatory and Environmental Changes?
• Organisational or Industry Culture?
• “Why can’t you just …”
• “Why don’t they listen?”
• Supplier/Client Risk and Accountability?
• “Wrong Cover on your TPS Report!!!”
• 24 x 7 x 365 … are we exhausted?

9. Thesameappliestoourcustomers...
Social Engineers already know this … and we cause it …
SOURCE: ERIC PINKERTON, “SATELLITES OF LOVE”, CRIKEYCON 2017 9
• People, process and technology
• Pinkerton’s paradox
• PAE
• PAL
• PFU
• Demoralised? Unfocused?
• mind on “other things”?
• Corporate/organisational culture
• Workplace support
• “I know better than you”

10. Whyisn’ttheGovernmentdoinganything?
Actually, they are. (A little bit of Contextual change?)
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11. Hangon…
Could there be an architectural approach to looking at this? (a.k.a. can we apply SABSA with related approaches and
methods to this problem)?
SOURCE: sabsa.org, nist.gov/cyberframework 11

12. Whatelse?
actually, the community is stepping up at the Component level …
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Internationally Locally
• Stigma is starting to be break down –
acknowledging the problem.
• @InfoSanity.org
• https://www.omsihelp.org
• Formal Training e.g. Mental Health First Aid
• MHFA Mental Health First Aid Guidelines Booklet
(Amazon Kindle) & https://www.mhfa.com.au
• AISA Brisbane & National
• AusCERT / CrikeyCon / BSides
• AWSN
• WYWM
• Men’s Shed
• Industry and Community Mentoring
• NGOs increasing focus on Tech Industry

13. WhatcanyouandIdo?
Don’t be afraid to ask.
• Keep an eye out for each other
• Peers, managers, reports, clients, service providers, colleagues, friends,, everyone.
• Look for changes in people’s behaviour.
• Confidentiality and Trust – don’t force the issue
• It’s not about you/me, its about the sufferer …
• If you are suffering… don’t be afraid to ask
• Your GP is your best friend here ..
Sources: ruok.org.au, mhfa.org.au 13

14. Add a footer 14
QuestionsandDiscussion
I’m really scared of having to fill out the forms
• LifeLine
• 13 11 14
• lifeline.org.au
•BeyondBlue
•1300 22 46 32
•beyondblue.org.au
•HeadSpace (12-25yo)
•1800 650 890
•headspace.org.au