IT SEEMS EERILY appropriate that October has become “Cybersecurity Awareness Month”—especially these days. Everyone is hiding in one way or another. Some hide to make trouble. Others hide to not be harmed. Metaphorically, we’re all wearing masks.

The real world with all its dangers—disease, ransomware, identity theft, credit card fraud, and so many others—has become much scarier than the costumes we and our children and grandchildren all don for Halloween parties. Some ghoulish revelers might be up to mischief, but most of us are just out for a bit of fun and celebration.

With its decorative jack-o-lanterns and ghosts and leering skeletons, Halloween also marks the beginning of the holiday season, our busiest and most distracted time of year. Some dangers we can’t do much about, but we can and should take the Halloween hint and do what’s necessary to protect ourselves, our families, and our businesses from those cyber-goblins lurking in the darkness of the Web, waiting to find an opening so they can steal anything and everything we value. Practicing cyber safety and cybersecurity are the two best ways for us all to say “Boo!” back to them.

–Bill Yoder,

Executive Director