And as we are discussing spooky cyber threats, please remember to prepare for Q-Day, the point at which a cryptographically relevant quantum computer (CRQC) can break widely used public-key cryptographic algorithms such as RSA and elliptic curve cryptography (ECC). Q-Day is a foreseeable strategic cybersecurity disruption, and organizations should begin post-quantum cryptography migration, cryptographic inventories, governance planning, and long-term data protection efforts now, because waiting until Q-Day will be too late.

AI can improve cyber defense, but only if organizations use it sensibly and back it with solid principles. No single cybersecurity statistic may be the most terrifying. It is the decreasing amount of time that organizations have to identify an attack, comprehend its ramifications, and take action before it escalates into a crisis. The speed at which we can close that gap will determine resilience in the AI era.

Stay safe this Halloween and onward, as the cauldron is already boiling!