Julie Responds to Key Questions
When executives ask "How much security is enough?" - how do you answer that?
It depends on your industry, but there are two non-negotiables. If you’re in a highly regulated space, you need the minimum level required by your regulators – that’s your starting point, not your finish line. For everyone else, you need enough security to protect your intellectual property and respect your customers’ digital identities. That’s not optional – it’s about basic business ethics and survival.
What's the biggest cybersecurity myth that's costing organizations money?
That compliance equals security. I see this constantly – companies check all their compliance boxes and think they’re protected. Compliance is just the baseline, the absolute minimum. Real security is about understanding your specific risks and building defenses that actually work for your business model. The companies that get this spend their money more effectively and their leaders sleep better at night.
What's the most expensive security mistake you've seen an organization make?
Not having a clear picture of their most valuable assets and most critical business processes. I’ve seen companies spend millions on security tools while leaving their crown jewels completely exposed because they didn’t even know what needed protecting. You can’t secure what you can’t see, and you can’t prioritize what you don’t understand.
What's changed the most about cybersecurity since you started your career?
Cybersecurity has grown way beyond just technology. Since life became digitized and data needs protection everywhere it goes, cybersecurity is now ubiquitous – it’s like oxygen molecules in the air. We used to think about security as something you bolted on; now it has to be woven into every business decision because that’s where the data lives.
What's the first thing you assess when you walk into a new client engagement?
Whether there are any blind spots that weren’t covered in the SOW but might be critical to their success – sometimes you don’t know what you don’t know until you’re actually in the environment. I also check if there’s any gap between what we agreed to in the contract and what they’re actually expecting, because alignment from day one sets everyone up for success.
What do you wish every CEO understood about cybersecurity?
Cybersecurity isn’t optional or an afterthought anymore – it’s actually a competitive differentiator. Consumers expect respect for their digital identities and data, and they’re making purchasing decisions based on trust. Too many companies are losing customers and revenue over preventable breaches that could have been avoided with the right approach.
What do businesses and organizations need to know about AI?
AI is not magic, and it’s not the solution for everything that ails your business. You need to be incredibly intentional about deployment – identify specific use cases and understand exactly how they move the needle for your goals. Current ROI on AI deployments is around 1-2% because too many organizations chase the shiny object instead of treating AI as a tool to advance their business strategy.
What's the biggest AI mistake you're seeing organizations make right now?
Making AI their business identity instead of making AI serve their business identity. Companies implement AI because it’s cool or because they can, not because it actually solves a real problem or advances their objectives. The biggest wins come when you start with your business goals and work backward to see if AI can help you get there faster or better.
