--- title: "This Week in Cybersecurity: Ghosts in the Machine" description: Here's what you missed this week in the world of online security during the week ending on October 31, 2025. image: https://blog.openvpn.net/hubfs/Cybersecurity_Orange_Dark.png --- - [Blog](https://blog.openvpn.net) - [Cybersecurity](https://blog.openvpn.net/tag/cybersecurity) - [Industry News](https://blog.openvpn.net/tag/industry-news) # This Week in Cybersecurity: Ghosts in the Machine Oct 31, 2025 • 3 min read ![](https://blog.openvpn.net/hubfs/Cybersecurity_Orange_Dark.png) Share - - - - This Week in Cybersecurity: Ghosts in the Machine 3:07 By Heather Walters Happy Halloween to everyone except the hackers causing problems for everyone else. As October draws to a close, the cybersecurity world is delivering more tricks than treats. From AI data grabs to spooky leadership shakeups, here are this week’s headlines that’ll make even seasoned IT pros double-check the locks on their firewalls. ## 👻 LinkedIn’s AI training deadline: don’t get caught in the web LinkedIn is stirring up a cauldron of controversy by giving users until next Monday to opt out of having their public profile data, posts, and activity used to train its AI models and ad systems. While private messages remain off-limits, the rest of your professional persona might be feeding the algorithmic beast. For those who’d rather not be part of LinkedIn’s “monster mash” of machine learning, it’s time to act before the clock strikes midnight. ➡️ *[Read more](https://cisoseries.com/cybersecurity-news-linkedin-ai-opt-out-nsa-leadership-candidates-python-foundation-withdraws/)—because this one could come back to haunt your feed.*    ## 🧟‍♂️ NSA’s Leadership Shake-Up: Changing of the Crypt Keepers Over at the National Security Agency, a different kind of thriller is unfolding. Reports suggest the NSA is preparing for a leadership transition, with Army Lt. Gen. Paul Stanton and Air Force Lt. Gen. Thomas Hensley emerging as top contenders to lead. With global cyber threats growing more sophisticated (and scarier by the day), the next director will need to wield serious cryptographic firepower to keep the nation’s networks from turning into a cyber graveyard. ➡️ *[Read more](https://therecord.media/national-security-agency-vacancies-director-deputy-general-counsel)—if you dare to peer into the crypt of U.S. cyber policy.*   ## 🕷️ Open-Source Fright Night: Python Foundation Walks Away from Grant The Python Software Foundation has pulled out of a $1.5 million U.S. National Science Foundation grant after discovering a chilling clause that forbade participation in DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) programs. Rather than sign away its values, the PSF slammed the coffin shut on the deal. The incident underscores the fragile balance between open-source ideals, funding realities, and policy mandates—a classic case of when doing the right thing costs a few pieces of silver. ➡️ *[Read more](https://cyberscoop.com/python-software-foundation-rejects-federal-grant-funding-citing-dei-restrictions/)—this tale of open-source ethics has more twists than a serpent’s script.* ## 🦇 Key Takeaways - **AI data opt-outs** are no longer optional reading—ignore them, and your data might become part of the next digital séance. - **Leadership shifts** at agencies like the NSA can change the whole landscape of cybersecurity defense—new blood, new strategies, new stakes. - **Open-source projects** aren’t immune to politics; even the friendliest communities can find themselves walking through policy graveyards. ## 💀 Final Thought In cybersecurity, the real monsters aren’t under the bed—they’re hidden in the code, lurking in contracts, or quietly training on your data. So keep your systems patched, your backups blessed, and your pumpkin-spiced passwords strong. *Because in this line of work, every day is a little bit Halloween.* ### Ready to see how OpenVPN can help protect your organization from attacks? Try self-hosted Access Server or managed CloudConnexa for free - no credit card required. [See Which One is Right for You](https://openvpn.net/product-comparison/?_gl=1*1gyqeqh*_ga*MTc0OTQ0MDY5Ni4xNzU2MzIwODIw*_ga_E45Z33NTV7*czE3NTk3NjM1MjkkbzEwNiRnMSR0MTc1OTc2MzU1MyRqMzYkbDAkaDE3Mjk1ODkwNjk.*_fplc*bzNqSzFKaFBuN0plZ1dXTiUyQkFkbnJNU0ppanpMdVREcXFSTGFFZXRlTjRXaWtoUGlFUlhmVEFVV2pNNWROQUViUjJ1WXFTRVJiZEpwTWtWcUNIVmVORXVnOWdPb1cyVTNWVlRNdXdWdUlVdVVYSWVmQVV0N2Yxd1U5b01wV3clM0QlM0Q.*_gcl_au*MjExMjg0NTA5OC4xNzU2MzIwODIw*_ga_SPGM8Y8Y79*czE3NTk3NjM1MjkkbzEwNiRnMSR0MTc1OTc2MzU1MyRqMzYkbDAkaDA.) [Heather Walters](https://blog.openvpn.net/author/heather-walters) Heather is a writer for OpenVPN. ## Related posts from OpenVPN ### [![This Week in Cybersecurity: Cisco Alerts, Nursery Hacks, and Supply-Chain Fallout](https://blog.openvpn.net/hubfs/67.png) Cybersecurity Sep 26, 2025 This Week in Cybersecurity: Cisco Alerts, Nursery Hacks, and Supply-Chain Fallout](https://blog.openvpn.net/this-week-in-cybersecurity-cisco-alerts-nursery-hacks-and-supply-chain-fallout) ### [![This Week in Cybersecurity: Oracle Ransom Demands, Instagram Data Leaks, and New Cyber Laws](https://blog.openvpn.net/hubfs/social-suggested-images/3%20(4).png) Cybersecurity Jan 13, 2026 This Week in Cybersecurity: Oracle Ransom Demands, Instagram Data Leaks, and New Cyber Laws](https://blog.openvpn.net/this-week-in-cybersecurity-oracle-ransom-demands-instagram-data-leaks-and-new-cyber-laws) ### [![This Week in Cybersecurity: AI Hacks AI](https://blog.openvpn.net/hubfs/social-suggested-images/3%20(4).png) Cybersecurity Nov 21, 2025 This Week in Cybersecurity: AI Hacks AI](https://blog.openvpn.net/this-week-in-cybersecurity-ai-hacks-ai) ### Subscribe for Blog Updates ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Heather Walters", "url" : "https://blog.openvpn.net/author/heather-walters" }, "dateModified" : "2025-10-31T14:44:04.472Z", "datePublished" : "2025-10-31T14:44:04.000Z", "headline" : "This Week in Cybersecurity: Ghosts in the Machine", "image" : [ "https://blog.openvpn.net/hubfs/Cybersecurity_Orange_Dark.png" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://blog.openvpn.net/this-week-in-cybersecurity-ghosts-in-the-machine", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://blog.openvpn.net/hubfs/Dark=True%20Medium.png" }, "name" : "OpenVPN" } } ```