LINDA RUST
Linda Rust helps organizations connect cybersecurity requirements to real-world business decisions. Drawing on more than 25 years of experience spanning engineering, cybersecurity, audit, and large-scale technology programs, she works with executives, practitioners, and assessment teams to turn complex requirements into practical action.
Her experience ranges from mid-market companies to global enterprises, including a decade spent advising the CISO of a Fortune 500 defense contractor as the organization built and sustained a cybersecurity program assessed among the top tier worldwide. That work provided direct experience navigating the realities of bringing cybersecurity strategy to life: balancing risk, compliance, and business priorities.
Recognizing early that Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) would become a significant business issue for many organizations, Linda immersed herself in the framework from its earliest days. She became one of the first 100 certified CMMC assessors and has remained deeply involved in helping organizations prepare for certification.
As an instructor, Linda is known for helping participants move beyond understanding a framework to understanding how to apply it. Whether teaching cybersecurity practitioners, advising executive teams, or supporting assessment teams, she helps people cut through complexity, connect compliance requirements to business realities, and focus on the mission. Participants frequently describe leaving with greater clarity, stronger alignment, and a practical path forward—gaining insight not only into the requirements themselves, but into how experienced practitioners think, communicate, and make decisions when those requirements meet real-world business constraints.
Linda holds a degree in Computer Engineering from Iowa State University and a degree from Cornell University. Her professional credentials include Lead CMMC Certified Assessor (LCCA), CMMC Provisional Instructor (CMMC-PI), Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), Project Management Professional (PMP), and ISO/IEC 20000 Lead Auditor.
