About Cyber Threat Intelligence Planning

The Methodology

Intelligence as an organizational capability.

Most threat intelligence work begins with collection and hopes that meaning follows. Cyber Threat Intelligence Planning starts at the other end: with what the organization has to accomplish, protect, understand, or decide, and works forward to the questions that need answering, the information that answers them, and the decision the answer supports.

The methodology draws on cybersecurity, intelligence analysis, risk management, threat intelligence, and operational planning. It is written to be repeatable, so that a team can run it again on the next problem rather than starting over.

The Starter Kit puts four pieces of that methodology in your hands now: the Cyber Mission Analysis Process Map, the MATATC Worksheet, the Intelligence Requirements Worksheet, and a worked example applied to a fictional organization.

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The Authors

Written by Christopher G. Ruel and Ajay Menendez

Christopher G. Ruel

Cybersecurity expert, strategic planner, and owner of Prometheus Group

A former Special Forces officer who holds the rank of Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve, serving as a 38G/6R Civil Affairs Technology and Telecommunications Specialist. He has formally trained cybersecurity professionals in cyber threat intelligence, blending military intelligence doctrine with the problems security teams face now.

Owner, Prometheus Group
Colonel, U.S. Army Reserve; former Special Forces officer
MBA, University of Tennessee
Master's degree, U.S. Army War College
CISSP, CCSK+, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt

ORCID 0009-0007-5892-2226

Ajay Menendez

Founder of Black Tower Academy and Black Tower Security

A cybersecurity education and workforce development leader with more than 35 years of experience spanning enterprise infrastructure, cybersecurity operations, consulting, and technical education.

Founder, Black Tower Academy
Founder, Black Tower Security
35+ years across enterprise IT, cybersecurity, and education
Background in psychology, learning theory, and applied behavioral analysis
Experience with universities, private academies, enterprise customers, and government-focused training programs

ORCID 0009-0007-2758-536X

The Publisher

Black Tower Academy

Black Tower Academy provides cybersecurity, AI literacy, workforce development, and technical education built around structured curriculum, instructor-led delivery, practical exercises, and real-world application.

The academy was created to close the gap between cybersecurity theory and real operational readiness. Its programs are built for learners and organizations that need clear instruction, hands-on practice, operational context, and training that adapts to real environments. This book applies the same standard to threat intelligence.

Visit Black Tower Academy