HORTON IT DAILY · SEPTEMBER 30, 2026

A Coffee Break Shouldn’t Leave Your Computer Open

A small habit you can use today, a security warning to share with your computer support team, and two approaching federal bid deadlines.

Horton IT Enterprises LLC · Wednesday, September 30, 2026

Archived issue: Prepared for 2026-09-30 and published October 2, 2026. News, event availability, and contract status reflect the original issue date; some deadlines have passed. Check the official notices before acting.

THREAT WATCH

Does your business use Citrix NetScaler? Ask your support team today.

Citrix’s September 27 security bulletin, CTX697096, reports attacks using two weaknesses in NetScaler ADC and NetScaler Gateway: CVE-2026-88771 and CVE-2026-88772. Those numbers are the official labels your support team can use to find the right fixes. These products help businesses handle network traffic and remote access.

Why it matters: An attacker may be able to run commands on an affected system. This warning concerns customer-managed NetScaler equipment. It does not mean every personal computer needs a Citrix update.

  1. Ask your support provider: “Do we run customer-managed NetScaler ADC or Gateway?”
  2. If yes, ask them to check the product version and settings against the official bulletin, then apply the appropriate fix promptly.
  3. Ask whether they also checked for signs of an earlier break-in. Canada’s Cyber Centre advises preserving evidence where feasible before changing an affected system.

This is a follow-up on a September 27 warning, not a claim that it was announced today. Read the Citrix bulletin and the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security alert AL26-024.

YOUR TWO-MINUTE COMPUTER LESSON

Lock your Windows screen without closing your work.

Leaving for coffee? Locking the screen keeps your open programs in the background while requiring you to sign in again before using them.

  1. Save the document you are working on.
  2. Find the key with the Windows symbol. Hold it down and press L once. Then release both keys.
  3. Check that your desktop has been replaced by the lock screen before walking away.
  4. When you return, sign in using your usual password, PIN, fingerprint, or face recognition, depending on your setup.

Try it once now. Locking is different from signing out: signing out closes your programs and can lose unsaved work. Know your sign-in method before practicing. On a shared workplace computer, follow your employer’s rules.

Source: Microsoft’s guide to signing in, signing out, and locking Windows.

LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

Two online sessions to put on your calendar.

NIST is the National Institute of Standards and Technology. These are learning sessions, not promises of a certification or a contract award.

October 28, 2026 · 1–3 p.m. EDT · Webinar

DevSecOps and the Impact of Agentic AI. In everyday terms, this session looks at building and running software with security included throughout the work, and how artificial intelligence that carries out tasks fits into that process. Best suited to software teams and business owners working with them. NIST lists no attendance fee and a limit of 500 participants.

Read the event details and registration information.

October 29, 2026 · 2–3 p.m. Eastern Time · Webinar

Assessing Security Requirements for Controlled Unclassified Information: NIST SP 800-171Ar3 Small Business Primer. “Controlled Unclassified Information,” or CUI, is the official term used in this government information-protection topic. This session introduces NIST’s small-business guide to planning security assessments. Useful for people preparing their business for an assessment. The exact requirements for a particular contract still need to be checked in that contract.

See NIST’s event listing and registration link · Read NIST’s September 16 announcement and primer overview.

GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING WATCH

Two existing opportunities with deadlines close by.

Both official SAM.gov records were checked again on September 30, 2026. These are requests for quotes—offers to supply the requested products or services—not newly announced opportunities. FDIC means the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Neither notice uses a small-business set-aside, which means the competition is not reserved for that group.

Fortify On Demand Software Subscriptions

Agency: FDIC · Notice: CORHQ-26-Q-0283
Offers due: October 1, 2026, at 5 p.m. CDT.
Industry classification: NAICS 513210, Software Publishers.

For suppliers able to provide the requested software subscriptions. The current record was updated September 24. Amendment 0001 adds answers to bidders’ questions. The question deadline has already passed.

Before quoting: Read the full solicitation and Amendment 0001. Follow the proposal instructions and verify that you can meet the product, licensing, and delivery requirements. An open notice alone does not establish your eligibility.

Review the official Fortify notice and attachments.

FedRAMP Webex Subscription Maintenance

Agency: FDIC · Notice: CORHQ-26-Q-0369
Offers due in SAM.gov’s deadline field: October 2, 2026, at noon EDT.
Industry classification: NAICS 541519, Other Computer Related Services.

For suppliers of the requested Webex subscriptions and maintenance. The current record was updated September 22. Amendment 0001 extends the deadline and says question responses will be provided in Amendment 0002. The notice asks for a completed pricing schedule and applicable manufacturer agreements for government customers.

Check carefully: The amendment text says “EST,” while SAM.gov’s deadline field says “EDT.” Confirm the intended time with the contracting office. Review the newest attachments and any later amendment before submitting. The original September 23 date in the older description is superseded by the extension.

Review the official Webex notice and attachments.

Use the offers-due deadline, not the later date when a listing becomes inactive. These summaries are starting points; the agency’s current solicitation and amendments control.

ON THIS DAY IN TECHNOLOGY

September 30, 2016: Rosetta’s final message from a comet.

Ten years ago today, the Rosetta spacecraft ended its mission with a controlled impact on comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. NASA’s account says the loss of the spacecraft’s signal confirmed the impact. Rosetta sent back images during its final descent.

The mission’s ending was planned. The comet was moving farther from the Sun, reducing the power available to the spacecraft, and radio communication was becoming more difficult. A useful technology lesson: even a remarkable system needs an end-of-life plan.

Source: NASA’s “Rosetta’s Farewell,” published October 1, 2016.

IT LIFE · ORIGINAL COMIC

Coffee Break

Three coworkers’ comic panels about locking a computer before a coffee break. Full transcript follows.
Original IT Life comic created for the September 30, 2026 edition.

Comic transcript

  1. A woman steps away from her laptop: “Back in a minute.”
  2. A coworker points to her open inbox: “Is your inbox coming too?”
  3. She locks the computer and holds her coffee: “Nope. It is staying locked.”

Footer: “Before you walk away: Windows key + L.”

DAILY ZODIAC HOROSCOPE · SEPTEMBER 30, 2026

A lighthearted pause.

Entertainment only. These short paraphrases come from Samir Jain’s September 30 horoscope in The Times of India. They are not factual predictions or advice for health, money, or security decisions.

Read the full dated horoscope and author attribution.

ONE THING TO DO TODAY

Make the small habit stick.

Before your next coffee break, save your work and press Windows key + L. If you manage a business, pass today’s NetScaler question to the person who looks after your network. You do not need to know every technical term to ask a useful question.

Horton IT Enterprises LLC