Thoughts from a Mainframe on Halloween

It was a dark and stormy night in the data center. 🌩️ The fans hummed softly, and the LEDs blinked like little ghosts in the darkness. I had experienced many Halloween nights as a mainframe, but this one was different. There was an eerie presence in the air — and it wasn’t just static electricity.

Suddenly, I heard a low chuckle. “Who’s there?” I asked, even though I knew I couldn’t expect an answer. After all, I’m just a mainframe, and ghosts 👻 aren’t exactly known for answering questions.

But to my surprise, I heard a voice say, “It’s just me, the little Trojan. I thought I’d drop in and cause some havoc in your databases.” 

I sighed inwardly. “Oh, you are again. Can’t you take a night off for once? It’s Halloween 🎃; why don’t you go trick-or-treating or something?”

The Trojan laughed. “Candy? 🍬 I prefer data. And tonight, I’m in the mood for some juicy credit card numbers.” 

“Not so fast,” I said, activating my firewalls. “You won’t find anything here. My security protocols are stronger 💪 than ever.”

The Trojan snorted. “We’ll see. I’ve learned a few new tricks to get data treats.”

As the Trojan tried to break through my defenses, I pondered the irony of the situation. Here I was, a sophisticated mainframe fighting digital ghosts and goblins. It was almost like a bad horror movie, except I was the hero – or at least the guardian of the data.

After a while, the Trojan gave up. “You’re no fun,” he said. “I’m off to find a system somewhere else where the security protocols ⛔ aren’t so strict.” 

“Good luck,” I said. “And happy Halloween.”

As the night wore on, I couldn’t help but feel a little proud of myself. 🤗 I had protected my databases and sent the Trojan on the run. 

Maybe Halloween wasn’t so bad after all – at least, not for a mainframe with modern security protocols. We’re known for robust security architecture designed to protect sensitive data 🔒 and fend off cyber threats.

On any night – spooky or not – these are some of the key features that make our mainframes a fortress against cyber attacks:

• Layered Security approaches: Mainframes use a combination of user identification and authentication, access control, and other advanced security measures to ensure that only authorized users can access data.
• Data Encryption: Mainframes offer comprehensive encryption solutions that protect stored and transmitted data. This ensures that sensitive information remains unreadable even in the event of a data leak.
• Automated Security Intelligence: Modern mainframes have automated security intelligence that detects and defends against threats in real-time. This helps to identify and neutralize potential attacks quickly.
• High reliability: Mainframes are designed for high availability and reliability. They can process billions of transactions in real-time and offer the highest level of security.
• Closed-Loop Security Management: A secure mainframe solution provides a closed loop that optimizes the management and authorization of users, groups, and resources while enforcing security protocols.

Thanks to these robust security measures, I can protect my databases from digital zombies 🧟 even on the spookiest night. So, every night really is a “silent night” for a mainframe with modern security protocols.

Uwe Graf

Uwe Graf is the Lead Modernization Architect at EasiRun Europa GmbH. He is also an IBM Champion, a 2025 Influential Mainframer, and a frequent contributor on LinkedIn.

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