Brian Villanueva

Cybersecurity Administrator 2021 – Present

In my current role, I lead defensive operations and security engineering initiatives for a multi-site manufacturing organization supporting critical industries like energy, chemical manufacturing, health, and food. My work spans alert triage, incident response, control validation, and cross-platform security architecture across both IT and OT systems.

I collaborate with third-party security vendors to align the comapny’s security posture with regulatory and risk-based frameworks. I’m responsible for analyzing SIEM and EDR data, investigating threat activity, validating controls, and coordinating responses to phishing attempts and endpoint incidents. In addition to technical responsibilities, I drive awareness campaigns, design phishing simulations, and train end users on security best practices.

I also contribute to ongoing infrastructure projects—like AD hardening, M365 configuration, and virtual environment tuning—through a security-first lens. This role blends my deep operational background with an evolving offensive mindset, allowing me to build defenses that are both realistic and resilient.

EMS – COVID-19 FEMA Deployment 2021

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, I was deployed under FEMA as part of a national response team. I delivered critical care in high-volume, resource-constrained environments. This experience reinforced my ability to triage, communicate under pressure, and operate with minimal margin for error—traits that directly translate to high-stakes cybersecurity incidents.

Much like a security breach, the situations I faced required calm under fire, fast decision-making, and structured coordination with a distributed team. The ability to operate under uncertainty and still provide care built the foundation for my incident response mindset in cyber defense.

ATM Field Technician 2019 – 2020

As an ATM field technician, I maintained and secured physical and digital banking systems in the field. This role exposed me to real-world implementations of layered security: physical locks, software protections, and networked telemetry. I developed habits of tamper detection, operational security, and customer trust maintenance.

I also had to navigate high-trust environments where access to sensitive hardware and customer data demanded continuous integrity and accountability. This position bridged my physical security background with my emerging cybersecurity career, solidifying a security-first mindset.

Emergency Medical Services & Healthcare Security 2015 – 2019

Over the course of several years, I served primarily as an Emergency Medical Technician, working within multiple high-volume 911 systems. These roles demanded rapid decision-making, critical thinking under pressure, and clear communication with dispatchers, hospital staff, and law enforcement. I gained extensive experience navigating high-stakes medical situations and honed the ability to remain composed and effective in unpredictable environments.

I also worked as a security officer in a hospital setting. In addition to ensuring the safety of patients and staff, I enforced HIPAA protocols, responded to incidents, and assumed lead responsibilities regularly on weekends and during shift transitions and emergencies. This transitional phase strengthened my understanding of physical security, policy enforcement, and collaborative crisis management in a regulated healthcare environment.

Physical Security Supervisor 2010 – 2015

I led a team responsible for multi-site physical security at high-traffic facilities, where I developed security protocols, response plans, and training for access control and threat mitigation. My time in this role honed my leadership, situational awareness, and operational planning skills—attributes that became foundational when I transitioned to cyber defense.

This role taught me to think in layers of defense, understand threat actor behavior, and balance usability with security—concepts that map directly to modern cybersecurity frameworks.