In this episode, Cheri Hotman sits down with Joe Kodali, a fellow CPA turned cybersecurity and GRC leader, to have a blunt, practitioner-level conversation about what is actually broken in modern cybersecurity programs and why compliance theater is making organizations less secure, not more.

They unpack the unique value CPAs bring to cybersecurity, not because of accounting, but because of how auditors are trained to understand entire businesses, ask uncomfortable questions, and tie controls back to real risk and return on investment. From there, the discussion goes deep into the widening gap between executives and cyber teams, the failure of checkbox audits, and how GRC tools and low-quality SOC 2 practices have created a dangerous false sense of security.

Cheri and Joe challenge the industry’s obsession with compliance over governance and risk, calling out poor scoping, copy-paste controls, and the misuse of frameworks that were never meant to be treated as templates. They also address the hard truth that tools do not fix broken programs, people and discipline do.

The conversation closes with a candid discussion on why governance is the most overlooked and undervalued part of GRC, how boards should be asking better questions, and what it actually takes to build a cyber program that protects the business rather than just passing audits.

This episode is required listening for CISOs, security leaders, GRC practitioners, auditors, and executives who want real security outcomes instead of green checkmarks.

In this episode, Cheri Hotman sits down with CMMC expert and strategist Linda Rust for a direct, unscripted conversation about what CMMC really means for defense contractors, why so many organizations get it wrong, and how leaders can approach compliance with clarity instead of chaos.

Linda brings more than 25 years of engineering and mission-critical technology leadership to the table. She breaks down why CMMC is fundamentally a business issue rather than an IT project, why third-party accountability is often the only thing that finally moves organizations to action, and why “cheap” approaches end up being the most expensive mistakes companies make.

Cheri and Linda dig into:
• What CMMC is (and isn’t)
• Why scoping and understanding your data matters more than any technical control
• Why leadership, not IT, must own the strategy
• The real cost drivers behind CMMC and why labor—not tools—is the biggest factor
• How small companies get themselves into false-claims trouble without realizing it
• What’s coming next with FAR CUI and NIST 800-171 Revision 3
• How organizations can right-size their efforts instead of chasing shortcuts

If you want a frank, practical explanation of CMMC from two people who have lived it for years, this episode will help you understand the landscape, avoid costly pitfalls, and build a program that leaders can actually sustain.

In this episode, Cheri Hotman unpacks the real story behind CMMC—and why it’s far more than a compliance checklist. Drawing on highlights from her recent Dallas talk, Cheri emphasizes that passing an audit is never the end goal. Instead, CMMC is about protecting sensitive government data, earning customer trust, and building integrity into every layer of your security program.

Cheri breaks down the biggest pitfalls she sees—like over- or under-scoping, documentation theater, and trying to “DIY” without the right expertise. She shares why companies must approach CMMC as an ongoing cycle of protection, monitoring, and improvement—not a one-time project.

If you’re navigating CMMC, you’ll walk away with:

• Clear insight into what the DoD really expects (hint: it’s not just a perfect score).

• Strategies to scope effectively and avoid wasted effort.

• How to balance third-party support with true internal ownership.

• The importance of building trust and integrity over “just passing.”

CMMC is a chance to strengthen your security posture and stand out in the market—don’t miss it.