From Cyber Operations to Cyber Insight: Cyber Security and Threat Intelligence Analyst Adrian Martinez, BAS CO ’22, MS Cybersecurity ’26

I have found my niche in developing security processes and being a cybersecurity communicator. Half the battle of security is awareness and being able to educate others regarding security has been incredibly fulfilling.

  
Cybersecurity and Threat Intelligence Analyst Adrian Martinez, a 2022 graduate of the Bachelor of Applied Science in Cyber Operations and 2026 graduate of the Master of Science in Cybersecurity, has built a career at the intersection of technical expertise and communication, translating complex threats into actionable insight. Drawing on both his military background and University of Arizona education, he now helps shape enterprise-level threat intelligence at Tucson Electric Power (TEP). For Martinez, the most rewarding part of cybersecurity is not just solving problems, but helping others understand them.

Why did you decide to pursue degrees in cybersecurity?

The University of Arizona has a history of excellence in an incredibly diverse number of fields, in both research, application and straight-to-industry programs. I was split between wanting to study computer science or cybersecurity. The University of Arizona has both. 

During my first few years at school, I was a member of the Arizona's Science, Engineering, Math and Veteran Scholars (ASEMS-V) program. As a part of that program, a fellow ASEMS-V veteran and I met with a faculty member of the College of Applied Science and Technology. He described the Bachelor of Applied Science in Cyber Operations program and the three different paths within the program. We moved down the hall from his office and saw a live view of CyberApolis, a learning environment disguised as a virtual city. He described the BAS CO program’s integration of the virtual environment that ultimately leads to a hacking capstone.

I finished my first year in the computer science program before I swapped majors for Cyber Operations. My project partner also switched from computer science to the BAS CO program. 

Did you find an area of study within cyber operations of particular interest?

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Within the Defense and Forensics emphasis area, I was particularly interested in the Malware Analysis class. This was an especially difficult class, but it always felt like discovering a new kind of puzzle. 

What did you like best about the Bachelor’s in Cyber Operations?

In my first year in the BAS CO program, I was introduced to a fledgling Discord channel that would evolve into the birthplace of the Cyber Saguaros cybersecurity club. Being at the start of what has grown into an incredibly successful student organization is always a special feeling. 

The BAS CO program itself gave me the knowledge and understanding to create and solve an infinite number of puzzles and projects. The YouTube DefCon talks now made a lot more sense and this curiosity and knowledge gave me the edge in finding my job with Tucson Electric Power.

What was your biggest challenge in the program?

I started my first cybersecurity class the first year of Covid. Moving from all in-person classes in Computer Science, switching over to purely online took some effort and changing of habits.

Both my spouse and I were living off the education benefits from our military service. The military had taught us resilience and problem-solving. These types of soft skills are crucial in fast-paced environments and also in boring situations.

Tell us about your current work with TEP.

I am currently working on the Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) program for Tucson Electric Power. I am in a position where I can use the skills I learned in the military and the knowledge from years of studying cybersecurity to create a program that operationalizes threat intelligence in an enterprise environment, instead of a conflict environment. There is no hard standard on what exactly cyber threat intelligence means; if you ask 50 people, odds are you’ll receive 50 different answers. At the core, intelligence, of any sort, is information that has been processed through analysis and interpretation to provide meaning, context and relevance to decision-makers. 

While thinking about how to apply my military intelligence knowledge to a new environment and program, I created the Cyber Intelligence Requirement Framework (CIRF). CIRF defines the requirements “what we need to know” and “why it matters” through a three-tiered system of time-bound questions that connect leadership priorities to real threats and measurable exposures. The top tier consists of the highest-priority intelligence questions executive decision-makers need answered. The second tier translates executive priorities into threat-focused questions regarding how TEP could be targeted. The third tier is the most concrete layer, populated by organization-relevant exposure that ties to mission-critical assets. In plain terms the three tiers, from the bottom up, ask 1) What are we exposed to? 2) Who’s likely to exploit it? and 3) What leaders need to know right now?

Tell us a bit about your career path leading you to your current role.

I served in the U.S. Army for eight years. After I left the service, and graduated with my Cyber Operations degree, I began working as a security operations center analyst for Tucson Electric Power. Even though I had just finished my cyber degree, it felt like all the knowledge I had gained over years of study was still just a drop in the bucket. 

The first few years were tough. I felt as if I was starting a whole new career from the ground up. A conversation with a friend helped me realize I was seeing the trees and missing the forest. Instead of starting a new career, I needed to figure out how to apply the skills I had learned in the military.
  

How have you adapted in your profession given the rapid pace of technological change? 

I see the rapid pace of technological change as job security. Cybersecurity is a very new field; the frameworks I use every day are less than 20 years old and are still being updated. I have found my niche in developing security processes and being a cybersecurity communicator. Half the battle of security is awareness and being able to educate others regarding security has been incredibly fulfilling.

What is the best career advice you’ve received?

Don’t try and fit yourself into security. Instead, augment what you’re already passionate about and find the security angle. 

Sign up for as many capture-the-flag style challenges and get exposed to as much as possible. Figure out which sections in the challenges you look forward to the most and study that! It’s okay not to be good at everything. 

There is so much knowledge and information available for those starting their trek into cybersecurity. It is very easy to feel inundated and lost. The first three years of a career are very similar to the first years in college. Take that time to explore different areas of knowledge and find one you enjoy.

My go-to line is: Find something you can read and study without wanting to eat glass. I really enjoyed the hands-on part of taking apart a malware binary, but studying for it was incredibly difficult for me.

Be patient. Everyone wants to be a “pentester” or ethical hacker” but the knowledge and skills required are rarely accessible without years of study and practice. There’s no finish line where your efforts are going to be scored and compared to everyone else. Have fun learning instead of being filled with anxiety over all the things you still don’t know.

What additional advice do you have for those just entering the profession?

Stay curious and patient. Don’t focus too much on a specific title or role and instead focus on the knowledge. 

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Beyond your professional work, what are your passions?

I love to be outside. I spend half my day in front of screens, and it’s easy to lose perspective. Tucson has national parks to the east and west and Coronado National Forest to the north. I truly enjoy long trail runs through the beauty of the Sonoran Desert. Long runs in the heat and tattoo sessions are the best therapy.

I have built an aquaponics system in my backyard that turns fish waste into plant food. The system started out with about 15 goldfish and two small grow beds and has expanded to include solar power, about 100 tilapia per year, 100 square feet of grow beds and 1,200 gallons of total water. This summer I will be adding automation and machine learning to the system to increase the system’s efficiency and reliability. 

I really enjoy tinkering with electronics and learning about different types of energy storage, especially if the source is renewable.

Anything else you’d like to share?

Go Cats and Bear Down!
 

Explore the cybersecurity programs offered by the College of Information Science: Bachelor of Applied Science in Cyber Operations and Master of Science in Cyber and Information Operations.