Troy Adams

Troy L. Adams is an experienced IT professional, cybersecurity strategist, and collegiate educator with nearly 30 years of hands-on experience across information technology support, systems architecture, process development, and executive leadership. With 14 years spent supporting federal systems and programs alongside two decades of teaching in higher education, he bridges the gap between academic theory and real-world technical execution.

Currently, Troy serves as an Assistant Professor of Practice and Assistant Director at Northern Arizona University, where he leads curriculum delivery in web development and cybersecurity within the College of Engineering. Concurrently, he works as a Cyber Threat Intelligence Analyst and Cyber Engagement Specialist (IT Cyber Specialist III) for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). In this role, he leads tactical threat intelligence initiatives, authors critical sector-wide vulnerability notifications, develops Python-based automation tools, and represents the agency at national cybersecurity tabletop exercises and industry conferences.

His extensive academic background includes serving as an Instructor for the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University, Associate Faculty at the University of Arizona, and Adjunct Professor at Pima Community College. His instruction spans cybersecurity fundamentals, UNIX administration, computer programming, IT infrastructure, and cyber ethics.

Prior to his current roles, Troy held key technical and leadership positions across corporate, federal, and higher education environments. He served as Director of Information Security & Technology at Tallwave, Director of Curriculum Services at Western International University, and ITIL Change Manager and Technical Lead supporting federal contracts for the FBI, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Army.

Troy holds a Master of Science in Cybersecurity and a Master of Science in Management Information Systems from the University of Arizona, an MBA, and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Boise State University. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Information Technology at Arizona State University. He maintains several premier industry certifications, including Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), EC-Council Associate C|CISO, FAC-COR Level II, and ITIL Foundations.

An active leader in the cybersecurity community, Troy served as President and Treasurer of the ISC2 Southern Arizona Chapter and as Health Sector Chief for Arizona InfraGard. He frequently authors research papers and delivers keynote addresses on emerging cyber threats to healthcare infrastructure, medical device security, artificial intelligence in defense, and ransomware mitigation.