While attending Cyber.org’s EdCon2025, I had the opportunity to meet Neil Plotnick, a Computer Science instructor at Everett Public Schools in Massachusetts. Mr. Plotnick uses the Parallax Shield-Bot with Arduino in his cybersecurity course. In the video above, starting about halfway through, his student Nate shares how much they enjoy the class.
Physical computing is an essential part of cybersecurity education. From the hardware devices we connect to the internet, to events like DEFCON, and the growing number of internet-connected embedded systems in our daily lives — these examples show how deeply embedded devices are integrated into our world. Many of these devices are manufactured overseas and include unknown or proprietary security features. By teaching students how these systems are designed and how they operate, we aim to empower them to take control of their digital future. Not only can they identify vulnerabilities, but they can also contribute to the design and manufacturing of secure, U.S.-made technologies.
If you teach Computer Science, Physical Computing, or Engineering Technology at the middle or high school level, there’s a free curriculum available from Cyber.org called CyberLit. U.S.-based educators can sign up at cyber.org to access the content. The only required hardware is an $18 micro:bit module, which is available from Parallax. In addition, Parallax’s cyber:bot curriculum includes a dedicated cybersecurity series. These two curriculum series from Parallax and Cyber are based on the same material.
Ken Gracey
Parallax Inc.
