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