What inspired you to become an NCPC instructor?
I took a TEEX class and realized that I could use my professional experience, which is 28 years, to help others. I have been in IT in various roles in various industries, so I provide a perspective from private, public, and educational directions.
What makes NCPC’s training approach unique compared to other cybersecurity programs you’ve encountered?
Instructor-led training, but not adhering too closely to slides. Each class is effectively tailored to the needs of the audience, and even individual students. No student is left to feel like they were insulted by too little information, nor overwhelmed by too much.
How do you tailor your instruction to meet the needs of diverse audiences, such as technical or non-technical personnel?
In PER-371 Cybersecurity Incident Response and Management (for which I am the lead instructor), we study the student rosters even before the class begins. We very regularly have extremely experienced IT people and their much-less-experienced coworkers in the same class. I had one student tell me he was a maintenance person and didn’t have anything to do with IT at all. When I pointed out that he had a phone and used it to email people in his organization regularly, he realized that everyone needed the training we were providing. That same student told me he didn’t need to take the test because he knew he would fail it. When he took it anyway, he passed with a 97. I live for that moment of discovery when a student realizes they know more – and have absorbed more – than they realize.
How do you see NCPC training contributing to national cybersecurity resilience and community preparedness?
As an example, taking PER-371, we had over 400 students in 2025. As an instructor, I can see their progress firsthand over three days. The students learn their various roles, learn how to communicate, and learn how to work together. That means in a real emergency, they will be able to skip that awkward first few hours when people are less comfortable with their roles. After our training, they know exactly what a real disaster will look like, and they are prepared. In an emergency, that means lives saved.
What feedback have you received from participants that highlights the value or effectiveness of NCPC courses?
The best example I have is this: “As a former author and instructor of the Advanced Network Intrusion Forensics course at the National Computer Forensics Institute and recipient of numerous SANS certifications, this was the most effective and valuable training experience in my career. Well done, you are saving lives and greatly improving the EM and Cyber IR industries.” Coming from someone that is not only SANS-certified, but also an author and instructor of world-class training themselves, it offers a powerful opinion.
How do you stay current with evolving cyber threats and integrate that knowledge into your instruction?
I am a voracious reader, and I read online forums and discussion boards relentlessly. I am also highly interested in cutting-edge technology like AI. I roll that into my instruction by pointing out that what was a supercomputer even 15 years ago is now available on your phone. The dizzying pace of technological improvement itself is a threat.
What is your favorite NCPC course, and why?
Definitely PER-371. It’s my favorite because it is a student favorite, and it is such powerful material. It is also the most collaborative of all of the classes, and the students leave feeling like they are part of something larger.
How does the NCPC prepare participants for real-world cybersecurity concerns?
By giving them pertinent, timely information and putting them in situations that serve to not only inform them but also get them to ask questions about their own organizations.
Bill Jenkins is an agency instructor with the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) National Emergency Response and Recovery Training Center (NERRTC).