Halloween is upon us, and for the next few days those who did not plan in advance will frantically hunt around for a quick costume they can throw together.
But many tech-related costumes are close at hand, potentially lying in the back of your closet, just waiting to be assembled.
Five costumes you can assemble in a pinch:
1. A hacker
Cyberthreats haunt every network edge in business technology, and for Halloween you could be what your business fears most: A hacker, aka a "malicious" or "bad" actor.
Of course you could don a Guy Fawkes mask, falling in line with every stock photo of a hacker in existence, but why go for specificity when you could morph into a generic hacker lurking in the corner?
Keys to success: Dark jeans, a dark hoodie with the hood pulled up, placing your face in shadow (akin to "Mr. Robot"), a laptop and access to public Wi-Fi.
2. The quintessential tech CEO
What do Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerburg have in common? A uniform. Not quite reaching the level of a style icon, many prominent tech CEOs have established unique but simple looks, which has helped cement their Silicon Valley mysticism.
Other tech leaders have followed suit, opting for splashy sneakers or red polos as their wardrobe stable. But all those fashion flares will never live up to the reputation of the classic black turtleneck in Silicon Valley.
Iconic.
Keys to success: A black turtleneck, jeans and sneakers. Bonus points if you carry around a tablet and discuss "the future."
3. Monopoly Man
Some of the best Halloween costumes are those that are timely and relevant. While the Equifax breach is no laughing matter — especially considering the PII of 145.5 million people was compromised — there are elements of the incident people can call upon for inspiration this season.
During former Equifax CEO Richard Smith's testimony on Capitol Hill earlier this month, someone in the audience dressed up like the character Rich Uncle Pennybags, aka Monopoly Man, an easily executable costume.
Keys to success: A top hat, a bow tie, a stick-on white mustache and a monocle. A quizzical look is also a must.
4. Data server
The era of the data server nestled into the corner of a gloomy basement may soon be gone, but it is not forgotten. The cloud has taken over the enterprise, but that doesn't mean people will forget the retired corporate server farm.
Rather than completely transform into a data server, which would require a large cardboard box, string lights and some craftiness, it's best to dress as a server one would encounter in a restaurant. Certainly, the right audience is necessary to understand the meaning behind your costume, but if no one else gets it, at least you will remember the long-forgotten server.
Bonus points for cobwebs and a bit of dust.
Spooky.
Keys to success: A metal tray with a dish of data on top (use your imagination), dress pants, an apron, a dress shirt and a bow tie.
5. The cloud
Move over dusty data servers, the cloud is the future. The best way to showcase the technology that dominates modern computing is to dress up as a cloud.
And no, the CIO Dive team is not recommending you get one of those onesies with clouds on it that are really just footie pajamas and definitely not a costume. Instead, you should put your technical skills to use and create a glowing and puffy cloud.
For inspiration, check out the work of "Princess Cumulus."
Keys to success: White fluffy cotton or gauze, string lights and time for assembly.
