Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure: Notepad social-engineering bypass claim; prolonged Queens heat outage; user-safety curriculum

Act now: 1) Investigate the reported Notepad-based social-engineering method allegedly bypassing Microsoft’s CVE-2026-20841 fix; monitor for guidance from Microsoft, and consider tightening application allowlisting and user prompts around opening files via Not

Sources indicate a claim of a Notepad-centered social-engineering technique that allegedly bypasses Microsoft’s fix for CVE-2026-20841, but technical details are not contained in the post provided. A Queens co-op experienced a 16-day heat outage; the cause is not specified. A new Central Texas online-safety curriculum/

Key developments

A post claims a Notepad-based social-engineering technique that allegedly bypasses Microsoft’s CVE-2026-20841 fix; details require review of the linked blog (not provided here) [2].
Fairview co-op residents in Queens reportedly faced a 16-day heat outage; this source does not state the cause (cyber vs. non-cyber) [3].
A new online safety curriculum and Girl Scout patch launched in Central Texas, signaling continued demand for user-focused prevention education [1].

Implications for critical infrastructure and large enterprises

Social engineering remains adaptive; claims of bypassing recent vendor fixes underscore the need for layered controls beyond patching [2].
The Queens outage highlights real-world impact of prolonged service disruption; without a stated cause, organizations should validate both cyber and non-cyber resilience assumptions [3].
User education initiatives align with reducing social-engineering risk in enterprise settings [1].

Recommended actions (prioritized)

Social-engineering/Notepad claim: Assign an analyst to review the linked write-up, track any Microsoft advisories for CVE-2026-20841, and consider tightening application allowlisting and attachment-handling policies for untrusted content pending verification [2].
Operations/continuity: Confirm facilities and supplier contingencies for heat/critical utilities; run a tabletop on extended utility loss and cyber-physical dependencies [3].
Awareness: Refresh phishing/social-engineering training; incorporate current tactics awareness consistent with new safety-curriculum themes [1].

Ransomware snapshot

No ransomware incidents are present in this source set; maintain routine monitoring for sector-specific advisories and extortion TTP shifts.

Gaps and collection priorities

Obtain technical details or vendor confirmation on the alleged Notepad-based bypass of CVE-2026-20841 (seek Microsoft or trusted researcher advisories) [2].
Determine the cause of the Queens heat outage (official statements, utility notices, regulator reports) [3].
Supplement with primary data on recent ransomware activity affecting utilities and large enterprises; none is provided here.