Tactile Cybersecurity:
Why Physical Devices Still Matter in a Digital World

Date: Thursday, August 28, 2025
Time: 1 PM – 2 PM ET
Location: Virtual
Registration: After completing the registration, you will receive an email with the Zoom information. 

Description:  In a rush to virtualize everything, cybersecurity education has lost touch—literally—with hardware. Ironically, this online session shines a light on the very gap it addresses: by relying heavily on virtual platforms, we’ve assumed that learners already understand both elementary and complex physical concepts—when many do not.

This session explores why hands-on, physical hardware experiences are essential for building real-world cybersecurity competency. Drawing from multiple years of classroom experimentation, we’ll examine how skipping hardware erodes students’ ability to troubleshoot, understand physical-layer vulnerabilities, and adapt under pressure.

Topics include:

• Why hardware exposure (device teardowns, cable-making, hardware hacking tools) strengthens problem-solving and resilience.
• How hardware vulnerabilities intersect with secure systems design, incident response, and vulnerability analysis.
• Strategies for reintroducing physical device interaction into modern cybersecurity programs, even in online and resource-limited settings.
• Balancing virtual/cloud education with tactile, “fail-forward” lab environments that allow students to wrestle with complexity.

Attendees will leave with practical examples and frameworks to close this overlooked skills gap and better prepare graduates for roles like security analyst, penetration tester, and network operations specialist. This session also addresses the broader cybersecurity workforce pipeline, highlighting how physical device skills impact corporate readiness and liability in the AI-driven digital age.

Featured Speaker: 

Dr. Johnathan Yerby is the Director of Cybersecurity Programs and an Associate Professor at Mercer University

Dr. Johnathan Yerby is the Director of Cybersecurity Programs and an Associate Professor at Mercer University, where he leads the NSA-recognized Center for Cybersecurity Excellence and the Center for Cyber Outreach, Research, and Education (CORE). His work focuses on cybersecurity education, digital forensics, data privacy, and security awareness.

Dr. Yerby’s professional experience includes business, mortgage, insurance, and higher education, which informs his ability to bridge technical security skills with organizational needs. He has spent the past four years deliberately integrating hardware-based learning into cybersecurity programs and is a frequent speaker on topics of hands-on learning, workforce readiness, and closing the cybersecurity skills gap.

Social Media: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yerby/