Friday note · Week of October 13, 2026
Ivanti only if you have it. Profile updates start Wednesday.
1. Ivanti Connect Secure is being exploited. A patch is not enough.
CISA added CVE-2026-104935 on October 13. It lets someone who is not logged in run commands on Connect Secure 25.1.1.1 and earlier, 25.1.2.2 and earlier, and 22.8R2.4 and earlier. If you do not run Connect Secure, skip this. If you do: back up the configuration, factory-reset the box (rebuild it if it is virtual), restore the backup, then reset every password, certificate, API key, and license credential. Do not trust the integrity checker by itself. It can miss this one.
CISA — Ivanti Connect Secure (Oct 13)
2. EPC admin window opens Wednesday, Oct 21
Update the entity profile before it locks for the FY2027 application: enrollment and NSLP, library square footage, contacts, and any site that was added or closed. The window closes shortly before the FY2027 Form 471 opens in early 2027. While you are in there, look up two dates. Do not file them unless the tool says that FRN is actually due. October 28 is the invoice or one-time extension for most FY2025 recurring services. October 29 is the FY2026 Form 486 only if the funding letter is dated on or before July 1 and service started July 1.
3. Do not file Friday night
USAC lists maintenance on Oct 16 from 6 p.m. ET to 12 p.m. ET (3 p.m. to 9 a.m. AZ). That runs overnight. Finish anything in EPC before 6 p.m. Eastern Friday, or wait until Saturday afternoon.
USAC — EPC maintenance schedule
Ignore this
- CVE-2026-96951, the Windows Shell bug. Microsoft has not posted an update. Do not hunt for a KB. The October 16 date is for federal agencies.
- CISA's Oct 22 tabletop workshop, 1 to 2 p.m. ET. This month is a high school active shooter exercise. Not a tech ticket unless you already run those.
- FCC reply comments on Nov 12. Comments were due Oct 13.
- Eligible Services 101 webinar (Nov 3).
Two-person week
- Friday, if you have Connect Secure: Do the backup, factory reset or rebuild, restore, and credential reset. Do not stop at the patch.
- Before 6 p.m. ET Friday: Finish any EPC work, or leave it until Saturday afternoon.
- Before Wednesday: List the profile changes for the admin window: enrollment, NSLP, square footage, contacts, and sites.
- Fifteen minutes: Look up which FRNs hit October 28 and which Form 486s hit October 29. File only those.
Skip this week: A Windows KB that does not exist; the Oct 22 tabletop; Nov 12 reply comments; the Nov 3 webinar.
Forward this to the other person on the team. The Friday note is free. No vendor pitches.