We Don’t Phish: Erin Gallagher on Doing Awareness Differently

This week marks the launch of a new recurring format within The Awareness Angle podcast—Interviews—where we sit down with voices shaping the future of human risk and security awareness.In this episode, Anthony kicks off the series with the brilliant Erin Gallagher from Fastly for a candid conversation about reshaping security awareness from the ground up. Forget the old playbook—Erin shares how she's putting relationships, relevance, and real-world context at the centre of her approach.🎙️ Breaking the Phishing Cycle – Fastly doesn’t run phishing simulations. Why? Erin explains why they’re often more harmful than helpful—and how focusing on education, not trickery changes the game.💬 Slack Over Email – At Fastly, security awareness happens where the people are: in Slack. We explore why ditching email improves reach, tone, and trust.📚 From Compliance to Curiosity – Training should feel like levelling up, not ticking a box. Erin shares how she designed an OWASP Top 10 module that’s short, punchy, and useful.🎨 Creative Engagement – From using ChatGPT to writing training content to drawing inspiration from surprising places—Erin shows how creativity fuels better learning experiences.🧠 Learning Fatigue is Real – Too much training? Too long? Erin talks about chunking, pacing, and making learning something people actually look forward to.🤝 Building Real Relationships – Whether it’s the interview process or day-to-day comms, Fastly’s philosophy is simple: trust your people, and they’ll trust you back.🔍 Tailored, Role-Based Training – One-size-fits-all doesn’t cut it anymore. We talk about the importance of adapting awareness programmes to different roles, risks, and realities.🔄 Self-Correction Over Gotchas – Success isn’t about catching people out—it’s about seeing them make the right move next time. Erin shares how Fastly tracks self-correcting behaviour as a true sign of progress.📦 Everyone Needs a Continuity Plan – Personal resilience isn’t just for systems. Erin closes with a powerful reminder: what’s your personal continuity plan?Whether deep in the field or curious about how people and security intersect, The Awareness Angle: Interviews brings you honest conversations, fresh ideas, and insights that stick. Episodes from the Interviews series will be released alongside our regular podcast on Thursdays!🕒 Timestamps00:00 Episode Introduction01:01 Erin Gallagher's Unique Role at Fastly02:07 The Interview Process and Company Culture03:13 The Decision Against Phishing Programs05:16 Communication Methods: Slack vs. Email07:20 Transitioning from Phishing to Security Awareness09:41 Building Relationships Over Testing11:48 The Focus on Engagement and Training12:51 Rethinking Phishing and Risk Management14:58 Creating Tailored Training Programs17:22 Engagement Strategies for Security Awareness19:02 The Challenges of Phishing Simulations21:21 Utilizing Tools for Awareness Training23:58 Innovative Training Approaches for Compliance28:01 The Journey to Cybersecurity Awareness33:54 The Role of Phishing in Security Training38:30 Creative Security Awareness Initiatives40:56 Influential Resources in Cybersecurity Awareness💬 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check Out This Episode's Discussion Points⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠📧 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🔗⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ riskycreative.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🎵 Our Intro & Outro Song (© ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠16! by ⁠falling forever⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)License: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0