A man walks into an office building. He nods to the receptionist, acting nonchalant, and strolls down the hallway. He blends right in. But he’s not there for a normal work shift — he’s there as a (legal) intruder, invited by the company to test its digital and physical defenses.
This is a practice known as penetration testing. It’s just one example of what a project might look like for Luke Barnes (’05), whose job is to protect companies from a wide array of security threats. As the founder and CEO of Crux Security, Barnes specializes in empowering companies to build comprehensive and cost-effective cybersecurity programs.
Really, this is nothing new for Barnes.
In every stage of his life since graduating from The Master’s University, Barnes has labored to demonstrate the hard work, servant leadership, and protective zeal that he first began cultivating as a new believer at TMU. He has brought that spirit to his service in the Marine Corps, his responsibilities as a husband and father, and his leadership role in the cybersecurity industry.
“I want to help protect the defenseless,” Barnes says. “The world is full of evil. Even in the nefarious hacker world, there are a lot of bad guys out there trying to do a lot of damage. So I’m doing a small part to stand in the gap.”
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Born and raised in Texas, Barnes thought he was a Christian when he first arrived at what was then The Master’s College.
“I went to church. But I wasn’t a born-again believer, and I wasn’t living for the Lord,” Barnes says. “When I got to TMU and sat under teaching at church and my professors and being on the (soccer) team with other godly guys, I realized these people were different, and they had something I didn’t.”
Over the course of his freshman year, he slowly realized he wasn’t the believer he claimed to be, and the Lord brought him to saving faith. He was baptized on Easter Sunday.
A key influence in Barnes’ life at TMU was his experience on the soccer team with Coach Jim Rickard.
“Luke was really affected early on,” Rickard says. “He was a very changed individual and would tell people about it. He was a leader and he was fun, but he was also serious and a really hard worker.”
Barnes majored in political studies, intending to pursue a career in law. Dr. Gregg Frazer, dean of the John P. Stead School of Humanities, says Barnes worked diligently on the soccer field and in the classroom, and that he had a great respect for those in authority.
But it was still a surprise to some when, after graduating in 2005, Barnes decided to join the Marine Corps and become an infantry officer.
“I was a freshman when 9/11 happened, and so I watched for four years as our country was at war,” Barnes says. “I just got fired up. I wanted to serve my country — to get in and do my part.”
It turned out that Marine Corps life fit Barnes nicely.
“Coming from Southern California to join the Marine Corps was a pretty big culture shock,” Barnes says. “But it was a culture that I really fit into and was able to thrive in, because it was heavy on discipline, accountability, and leadership, which is what I really love.”
Barnes served two combat tours in Iraq before transferring to the Counter Narcotics Task Force on the Southwest U.S. border. He met his future wife during this time, and after getting married and having kids, he decided to leave active duty but has remained as a Marine reservist. (He and his wife now have seven kids.)
During his time in active duty, Barnes advanced into leadership roles, continuing to expand on the skills he first practiced as a captain of the soccer team at TMU.
“Servant leadership goes a long way,” he says. “That’s something learned in the church — something Scripture preaches — and it’s also something that is pushed in the Marine Corps for their officers.”
After leaving active duty, he earned an MBA from the University of Kansas and a master’s degree in information security from the University of Texas at Austin. He wanted to start his own company, and he was hunting for an industry that would parallel his career in the Marines.
He soon discovered an interest in fighting a new type of “bad guy” — nefarious hackers.
Relocating back to his hometown of Austin, Barnes started a cybersecurity firm that eventually transformed into Crux Security. He says the most rewarding part of his job is protecting his clients from bad actors.
Crux does this in several ways, including helping companies hit compliance goals, offering leadership support, and developing security software.
It also conducts penetration testing, using ethical hackers to break into networks and expose a business’ weak spots. This often involves going onsite and searching for physical vulnerabilities (like unguarded access to server rooms and sensitive information) using advanced social engineering techniques. Crux then provides assessments on how the company can improve its digital and physical defenses.
This kind of access to sensitive data requires Crux Security to uphold a high level of trust and responsibility. Barnes says, “Our reputation has to be immaculate, and we have to be above reproach in our dealings.”
As CEO, Barnes sets this tone from the top by positioning employees to succeed. He says this is accomplished in three ways: building trust, learning employees’ strengths and weaknesses, and giving them the vision for what needs to happen and letting them get the job done.
“You have to be very confident in your skills and abilities to be successful in this domain,” Barnes says. “But it’s not an arrogant confidence. It’s the experience that God’s brought me through to be able to do this stuff for the good of others.”
At the end of the day, Barnes says that where he’s at now is all a testimony to the goodness and grace of God. And this grace has equipped him to work hard to glorify Christ.
“We as Christians should be the best at our jobs,” Barnes says. “We should not be known as slackers or people who only do the bare minimum. We should be known as diligent workers. And that’s an excellent testimony to everyone around us.”
Barnes is working with TMU’s Development Office to create The Master’s Fellowship for Business — a networking platform for TMU alumni that allows them to connect with fellow grads in their area. They are currently searching for alumni who are based in major cities and are interested in helping build a local network. If you would like to take part, please email .
