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Cyberattack cripples academic platforms worldwide
A coordinated cyberattack has paralyzed Canvas, the widely used educational software, affecting approximately 9,000 universities and schools across the United States, Canada, and Australia. The disruption comes at a critical juncture as institutions approach the end of their academic terms, complicating exams and coursework submissions.
Hacking group claims responsibility
The attack has been attributed to ShinyHunters, a hacking collective known for targeting large-scale digital infrastructure. The group reportedly left messages on affected systems, demanding ransom payments to prevent the release of sensitive data. Screenshots shared by the University of Chicago's student newspaper, The Chicago Maroon, show the group setting deadlines for negotiations, with threats escalating earlier this week.
"Contact us privately to negotiate a settlement and avoid the release of your data," the message read.
Universities scramble as outages persist
Instructure, the company behind Canvas, announced late Thursday that the platform was "available for most users," though many institutions continued to report disruptions into Friday. The University of Sydney confirmed it was among the affected organizations, advising students to refrain from attempting to log in while awaiting further guidance from Instructure. The university acknowledged the timing of the outage-coinciding with final exams-as particularly disruptive.
Penn State University took preemptive measures, canceling exams scheduled for Thursday and Friday after determining that a resolution was unlikely within 24 hours. Similarly, the University of British Columbia urged students to log out of Canvas immediately following reports of a "cyber breach" at Instructure. The University of Toronto also confirmed its systems were compromised, noting that multiple institutions were impacted.
Students face academic fallout
At the University of California, Los Angeles, students reported difficulties submitting assignments through Canvas, while the University of Chicago temporarily disabled its platform after detecting signs of a breach. Luke Connolly, a threat analyst at cybersecurity firm Emisoft, told the Associated Press that the group's threats began appearing on Sunday, with deadlines for ransom payments set for Thursday and May 12. He suggested that negotiations with affected institutions may still be underway.
US lawmakers call for stronger cyber defenses
The attack occurred as US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer issued a letter to the Trump administration, pressing for enhanced protections against cyber threats amid the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence. Schumer emphasized the urgency of the Department of Homeland Security's role in safeguarding states and localities from potential disruptions that could endanger lives and livelihoods.
"Before Americans are hit with outages, disruptions, and attacks that could put lives and livelihoods at risk," Schumer wrote.
Uncertainty lingers as institutions assess damage
As of Friday, the full extent of the breach remained unclear, with universities continuing to evaluate the impact on student data and academic operations. Instructure has not disclosed whether any ransom demands were met or if sensitive information was compromised. Students and faculty are advised to monitor official communications for updates on system restoration and contingency plans.
