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