Michael Darling 
Founder and Principal Consultant

Michael Darling delivers exceptional results with 25+ years of leadership across federal government, military, and private sectors.  

As CISO at Venable LLP, one of the biggest law firms in the world, he built and executed a$15M+ comprehensive security, privacy, and identity program that satisfied or exceeded the requirements of hundreds of Fortune 500 clients for protection of their most sensitive data. 

At PwC, he led numerous program assessments for large Defense Contractors and an information
sharing organization made up of the IRS and large tax preparation companies. He supported the
establishment of groundbreaking security consortiums, including a hospital intelligence sharing network ($30B+ combined member revenue), a financial sector risk collaboration ($440B+combined member revenue). 

As Senior Executive at Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Michael led strategic initiatives and help shape landmark cybersecurity legislation (FISMA 2014, CISA 2015). He led Homeland Security delegations to NATO and the Gulf Cooperation Council, advancing international cybersecurity cooperation. 

At the White House's Office of Management and Budget he oversaw billions of dollars in security budget authority, created the first federal cybersecurity spending tracking system, and helped develop the NIST Cybersecurity Framework. 

Michael served 23 years in the Marine Corps active and reserve in combat, security, and leadership roles including with Marine Forces Cyber and Logistics IT. He holds a Master's from Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor's from Wayne State College.