---
title: "About Joshua Wortz"
date: 2026-09-01
canonical: "https://codeandcypher.com/about/"
description: "Senior Cybersecurity Engineer, Higher Education Educator, and NCyTE Fellow."
---
# About Joshua Wortz
> Senior Cybersecurity Engineer, Higher Education Educator, and NCyTE Fellow.
---
## Bridging Enterprise Defense and Accessible Education
I am **Joshua Wortz** (MSCOL, CISSP, MCE)—a Senior Cybersecurity Engineer, Higher Education Instructor, and Technical Leader with over 20 years of experience architecting, securing, and optimizing complex enterprise IT, cloud operations, and threat detection pipelines.
I currently serve as a **Senior Security Engineer at Eisenhower Health**, engineering detection analytics and threat response across regulated healthcare environments. Previously, I led enterprise security compliance and trust verification as a **Senior Security Technical Program Manager at Amazon Web Services (AWS)**, architecting Zero Trust models protecting over 11,000 personnel and 40,000 cloud assets.
Alongside my engineering work, I am an **NCyTE Center National Faculty Fellow (Alumnus)**, a **Microsoft Certified Educator (MCE / 21CLD)**, and an active **AI & Model Context Protocol (MCP)** security researcher. My mission centers on bridging the gap between theoretical security frameworks and live production systems—translating high-stakes enterprise defense into accessible, hands-on learning.
{{< speaking_engagements mode="upcoming" >}}
---
## Teaching Philosophy: Accessible, Systems-First Security
> *"Learn the system first, in order to learn how to break, secure, and defend it."*
My approach to education is grounded in the reality of production environments and shaped by a deep personal commitment to inclusivity. As the father of a college student with autism, I know firsthand how rigid, single-mode instructional models create unintentional barriers for neurodivergent learners and students from non-traditional backgrounds.
To dismantle these barriers, my pedagogical framework rests on three core pillars:
1. **Universal Design for Learning (UDL):** Dense security concepts cannot be taught through text-heavy slides alone. I structure technical material across multiple representation modes—interactive topology maps, tactile lab scenarios, and structured step-by-step walkthroughs that empower visual processors and English language learners alike. [Read Philosophy Overview →](/posts/teaching-philosophy-ai-security-overview/)
2. **Low-Stakes, Inquiry-Based Labs:** Students build genuine confidence when given space to iterate and troubleshoot without performance anxiety. I emphasize tiered exercises and Red/Blue team simulations where failure is treated as diagnostic feedback rather than a grading penalty. [Explore Lab Structure →](/series/hands-on-ai-security/part-1-zero-cost-local-llm-lab/)
3. **Zero-Cost OER Lab Stack:** Financial strain should never bottleneck cybersecurity education. I design labs using open-source, containerized tools (such as Docker Desktop, local Ollama models, and Linux sandboxes) that run on modest 8GB student laptops—eliminating expensive cloud API bills. [View Open-Source Labs →](/projects/)
---
## Services & Professional Engagements
I partner with enterprise security teams, higher education institutions, conference organizers, and technology innovators across four primary engagement models:
Practical Zero Trust gap analysis, AWS/Azure security posture optimization, and least-privilege boundary design.
Engagement: 1–4 week sprints, architecture reviews, or advisory retainers
-
✓
Detection Engineering: Custom Sentinel KQL analytic rules & automated playbooks
-
✓
Regulated Compliance: HIPAA/HITECH, NIST CSF & SP 800-53 audit readiness
-
✓
Cloud Posture: Least-privilege identity & multi-account trust validation
Live, high-engagement red/blue team workshops running entirely on zero-cost, containerized Docker sandboxes.
Engagement: Half-day or full-day hands-on labs (up to 25 seats, zero cloud cost)
-
✓
Securing Agentic AI & LLMs: Prompt injection defense, MCP & OPA gateways
-
✓
Modern Threat Hunting: Hands-on detection & incident triage in Microsoft Sentinel
-
✓
Zero Cloud Bills: Runs locally on standard 8GB laptops with Docker Desktop
Engaging, accessible technical talks delivering actionable insights on emerging threats, Zero Trust, and AI defense.
Engagement: 45–60 min technical talk or panel + Q&A (virtual or on-site)
-
✓
Invited Talk / Briefing: The Next Threat Surface: Securing Model Context Protocol & AI Agents
-
✓
Technical Briefing: Demystifying Zero Trust for Real-World Infrastructure
-
✓
Academic Colloquia: MITRE ATT&CK breakdowns & live attack-chain forensics
Designing barrier-free, multimodal cybersecurity and AI coursework tailored for neurodivergent and non-traditional learners.
Engagement: Turnkey course packages, OER lab engineering, or faculty training
-
✓
UDL Alignment: Multimodal visual topologies, structured rubrics & tactile labs
-
✓
OER Lab Engineering: Turnkey, zero-cost Linux & Docker courseware packages
-
✓
Faculty Training: Mentoring educators on integrating AI defense into curricula
---
## Academic Appointments & Speaking Engagements
National Fellowship
National Faculty Fellow (Alumnus)
National Cybersecurity Technology Education (NCyTE) Center
Active contributor and alumnus fellow (2026 – Present) advancing curriculum accessibility, faculty development, and community college cybersecurity pathways nationwide.
Pedagogy Certification
21st Century Learning Design (21CLD)
Microsoft Learn & Microsoft Education (Earned May 2026)
Certified Educator in multimodal pedagogy, collaborative problem-solving, and technology-mediated instructional design for modern higher education.
{{< speaking_engagements mode="past" >}}
---
## Education, Credentials & Affiliations
-
Master of Science (MS) in Cybersecurity Operations & Leadership
University of San Diego (Graduated August 2026 | Cumulative GPA: 3.9 / 4.0)
Focus: Applied Cryptography, Cloud Security Architecture, Threat Intelligence
-
Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Pastoral Ministry
University of Valley Forge (Graduated May 2006)
Focus: Empathetic servant leadership, consultative communication, and conflict mediation
-
CCNA Network Engineering Program
Cisco Networking Academy (2000 – 2001)
Foundational TCP/IP routing, switching, and network architecture
-
CISSP — Certified Information Systems Security Professional
ISC2 (Information Systems Security Architecture & Governance)
-
Proofpoint Certified AI Agent Security Specialist
Agentic AI risk mitigation & LLM gateway protection
-
Microsoft Certified Educator (MCE / 21CLD)
Microsoft Education (Instructional Design & Technology)
-
Cloud & Security Fundamentals
AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner, Microsoft SC-900, AZ-900, DP-900, ITIL v3
-
NCyTE Center
National Faculty Fellow Alumnus & Higher Education Community Partner
-
InfraGard (San Diego Chapter)
FBI Public-Private Partnership for Critical Infrastructure Protection
-
ISACA & ISC2
Active Professional Member in Enterprise Governance & Cloud Security
---
## Security, Trust & Responsible Disclosure
As an enterprise cybersecurity engineering publication, Code and Cypher practices defensible, zero-trust architecture and provides a formal safe-harbor environment for good-faith security research:
---
## Connect & Collaborate
Whether you are interested in enterprise security architecture, booking a hands-on workshop, or collaborating on accessible cybersecurity curriculum, connect through any of these direct channels: