One-in-five cybersecurity leaders has either called in sick or deliberately booked holiday time off to avoid Patch Tuesday, according to new data from Socura.
Socura poll of 500 UK CSOs, CISOs and heads of IT security
Socura surveyed 500 UK CSOs, CISOs and heads of IT security to measure attitudes toward the monthly vendor patch cycle. The results show a patching culture under strain: 41% of respondents said they have worked overtime to manage the patching cycle, and 37% said they’ve worked late specifically to deploy patches. At the same time, 22% admitted they have tried to swerve Patch Tuesday altogether by calling in sick or booking leave.
The toll is not only temporal. Over a quarter (29%) said they feel “significant anxiety” the night before Patch Tuesday, and the same share reported becoming more irritable with colleagues or family during that week. “You expect your accountant to be available for your tax return deadline, and your lawyer for your court date,” Socura CEO Andrew Kays argued. “It speaks volumes about the unhealthy levels of stress and burnout in our industry that cybersecurity leaders would deliberately avoid the office during their most consequential day of work.”
Patch volume and Microsoft’s September 2026 record
Socura attributes part of the mounting workload to higher volumes of discovered flaws. The report notes that AI-powered vulnerability research has accelerated vendor discovery of software flaws: Microsoft fixed a record 974 CVEs in its September 2026 Patch Tuesday release, surpassing the previous record of 570 just two months earlier. For context, 1,130 vulnerabilities were published during the whole of 2025 — a single-month Microsoft figure in 2026 approaches that annual scale.
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Fix the backlogCISO work patterns and cumulative overtime
The Socura findings align with independent measurements of workload pressure. A March 2026 Seemplicity report cited by Socura found that 45% of cybersecurity leaders work 11 or more extra hours per week, while 20% work an extra 16+ hours weekly. Seemplicity also reported that 43% of respondents said they are unable to take time off without creating a huge amount of stress upon their return.
That accumulation of hours and the inability to step away undercuts the resilience of security teams. “It's vital that security teams are properly resourced on Patch Tuesday, and that cybersecurity workers are properly supported emotionally, technically, and financially,” Kays said. “It's a tough job, and most people do it because they love it. That shouldn't be forgotten or exploited.”
AI as both a cause of workload and a tool to reduce it
AI appears on both sides of the ledger. Socura notes AI-powered research is increasing the number of discovered vulnerabilities, contributing to heavier monthly patch loads. At the same time, survey respondents identify AI as a relief valve: two-fifths (40%) said the technology automates mundane work and frees teams to focus on strategic tasks, and 37% said AI is helping them better protect core corporate infrastructure against active threats.
The dual role of AI — amplifying discovery while offering automation and defensive improvements — frames a practical dilemma for security leaders: manage rising operational tempo while integrating automation that can reduce manual toil.
What this means for technologists, procurement leaders, and the general public
- Technologists and security teams: expect heavier, more concentrated monthly patch cycles and ongoing pressure around Patch Tuesday. Teams will need technical capacity and emotional support to sustain repeated peaks in workload.
- Procurement leaders and enterprise decision-makers: the data points to a need to resource Patch Tuesday specifically — staffing, vendor coordination and financial support were highlighted by Socura’s CEO as essential to prevent burnout and operational risk.
- The general public and end users: vendors are releasing more fixes than in prior years, so timely application of patches will remain an important part of organizational and consumer security posture as discovery rates rise.
Socura’s numbers are straightforward: a meaningful minority of senior cybersecurity professionals are actively avoiding the industry’s busiest maintenance day, while vulnerability volumes — and the hours required to manage them — continue to climb. The choice facing organisations is explicit in the report’s language: either resource Patch Tuesday adequately, or accept the operational and human cost that comes with not doing so.
https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/fifth-cisos-take-time-off-avoid/
