Ep. 305 - Security Awareness Series - Using Empathy to Not Become a Mushroom with Julie Chatman

Today on the Social-Engineer Podcast: The Security Awareness Series, Chris is joined by Julie Chatman. Julie is a distinguished cybersecurity executive with nearly two decades of experience in cybersecurity strategy, risk management, and AI governance.   She began her career in the U.S. Navy, serving on active duty as a Hospital Corpsman specializing in Medical Laboratory Science & Technology. Her transition into cybersecurity began at the FBI, where strong mentorship shaped her approach to leadership, problem solving, and talent development.   She currently serves as the Deputy Chief Information Security Officer for Finance at the Virginia Information Technologies Agency (VITA), where she is focused on driving risk reduction across state agencies. The role is part of a strategic engagement through her company, ResilientTech Advisors.   Julie leads CyberPath Coaching, where she draws on her experience as an active CISO to mentor cybersecurity professionals, accelerate their growth, and prepare them for executive roles. She works with individuals breaking into the field, mid-career professionals, aspiring CISOs, and cybersecurity entrepreneurs. [May 19, 2025]   00:00 - Intro 00:53 - Intro Links: -          Social-Engineer.com - http://www.social-engineer.com/ -          Managed Voice Phishing - https://www.social-engineer.com/services/vishing-service/ -          Managed Email Phishing - https://www.social-engineer.com/services/se-phishing-service/ -          Adversarial Simulations - https://www.social-engineer.com/services/social-engineering-penetration-test/ -          Social-Engineer channel on SLACK - https://social-engineering-hq.slack.com/ssb -          CLUTCH - http://www.pro-rock.com/ -          innocentlivesfoundation.org - http://www.innocentlivesfoundation.org/                                                02:03 - Julie Chatman Intro 03:14 - A Hungry Brain 04:25 - We Are Mushroomed 05:54 - Being an Enabler 10:13 - Speak Their Language 13:33 - Assigning Responsibility 16:05 - A Tool, Not a Replacement 20:35 - Career Challenges 22:40 - Strategic Empathy 23:46 - Setting Boundaries 24:15 - Narrative Control 25:38 - Staying Positive 29:39 - The Target is the Same 32:09 - Book Recommendations -          World War Z  - Max Brooks 33:20 - Mentors -          MB Kinder -          Martha Williams 35:14 - Find Julie Chatman Online -          Website: cyberpathcoaching.net -          LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/julie-chatman-mba-infosec 35:54     Wrap Up & Outro -          www.social-engineer.com -          www.innocentlivesfoundation.org