Canvas cyberattack derails Finals Week for thousands of US schools
A major data breach disrupted the Canvas learning platform during Finals Week, affecting thousands of schools across the US. The attack caused delays at several institutions, including Baylor University, while others like the University of Houston pushed ahead with exams and graduation ceremonies. Hackers have since demanded negotiations to prevent the release of stolen student information.
The cyberattack struck at a critical time, right as students were preparing for final exams. The group ShinyHunters took responsibility and threatened to leak private data unless their demands were met. In response, Instructure—the company behind Canvas—temporarily disabled Free-For-Teacher accounts to contain the breach and secure the system.
Baylor University was forced to postpone its scheduled finals due to the outage. Meanwhile, the University of Houston moved forward with assessments, even displaying supportive signs to reassure students as they returned to exams. Over a dozen schools in the Houston area, from K-12 districts to universities like Rice, also faced disruptions. Canvas has since been fully restored, according to an official statement from Instructure. However, some schools are still reporting minor technical issues as the platform stabilises.
The breach exposed vulnerabilities in a widely used education system, forcing schools to adapt under pressure. While Canvas is now operational, the incident has left institutions reviewing their cybersecurity measures. The threat of leaked student data remains unresolved as negotiations with the hackers continue.
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