Ecuador Tech Recap: The Highlights of October 5–11, 2026

The week of October 5 to 11 was, above all, about security: a new rule for fingerprints and faces, a critical flaw that is already being exploited and an attack on the JavaScript supply chain. There was also good news for anyone building reports with AI, and a Windows 10 date worth understanding properly. At SimCodec we recap the highlights and what they mean for your business.

Now an AI interviews you

On October 5, HackerRank opened Chakra to all its customers: an AI interviewer that runs the technical interview on its own, lets you use an AI assistant and grades how you use it. We explained what it evaluates and how to prepare as a developer.

Fingerprints and faces: the SPDP regulates biometric data

Resolution SPDP-SPD-2026-0039-R regulates fingerprints, faces, voice and iris data in Ecuador: it requires an impact assessment and a non-biometric alternative for workers, limits facial recognition and gives 12 months to comply. If you clock attendance with fingerprints or have cameras with facial recognition, check what the rule requires.

Critical flaw in Jira, Confluence and Bitbucket

Atlassian published CVE-2026-21589, scored 9.3: it allows reading server files without a password in eight self-hosted products, and exploitation attempts are already under way. We detailed the fixed versions, mitigations and steps in order.

A hijacked npm package to steal credentials

Version 0.5.144 of the tensorlake package shipped the Shai-Hulud worm: it runs on install, steals tokens and cloud keys and copies itself to other packages. We explained how to tell whether you were affected and in what order to clean up.

ChatGPT and Claude now answer with charts and dashboards

Since October 7, GPT-6 builds charts and calculators inside ChatGPT, even on the free plan; since the 8th, Claude Dashboards creates dashboards connected to your data. We covered what each one does and what to check before trusting an AI-made chart.

Windows 10: what changes on October 13

Microsoft extended free Windows 10 security updates for individuals until October 2027, but not for a company's managed devices. For organizations, October 13 closes the first year of the paid program, and the second year costs double. We explained what to check and what to decide.

Energy: industry moves to 72 hours of disconnection

On October 8, the Ministry of Environment and Energy announced that from Monday the 12th, disconnections for large consumers go from 48 to 72 hours a week, according to Primicias and Vistazo. If your company is on the schedule, our guide on how to prepare servers, network and cameras still applies.

What's coming

• October 13: the first year of the paid Windows 10 update program for businesses ends.
• October 15 and 16: TICEC 2026 at Universidad Indoamérica in Ambato.
• November 10: .NET 8 and .NET 9 reach end of Microsoft support.

What this means for your SME

• Inventory first. Almost everything this week starts the same way: knowing which systems, versions and dependencies you have.
• Patch what faces the internet. A self-hosted Jira or Confluence published on the web is a priority today, not next month.
• Biometrics with the paperwork in order. If you use fingerprints or facial recognition, start the impact assessment: there are 12 months, but none to spare.
• AI for reports, with review. AI-made charts save time; check the numbers before presenting them.

How We Approach It at SimCodec

At SimCodec we work on this week's fronts: cybersecurity and updates for servers and applications, video surveillance and access control aligned with data protection, agents and AI applied to business reporting, and infrastructure and cloud prepared for power cuts.

Want to assess which of this applies to your company? Write to us or call our AI assistant Cyntia at +593 99 726 6838.