Cyberattack on Canvas disrupts coursework at California colleges during finals

A major cybersecurity breach at Instructure, the company behind Canvas, a widely used learning management system, caused widespread disruption at colleges and universities across California and nationwide. The attack, attributed to the hacker group ShinyHunters, led to Canvas going offline Thursday, just as students were preparing for final exams. The hackers demanded payment by May 12, threatening to release stolen data including names, email addresses, student IDs, and user messages. UC Berkeley, UCLA, Stanford University, California State University, USC, and the Los Angeles Community College District all reported outages, with students unable to access assignments, readings, or course materials. Institutions advised users not to log in and implemented temporary shutdowns or redirects. While passwords, financial information, and government identifiers were reportedly not affected, the breach caused significant academic disruption. Professors began offering assignment extensions and alternative ways to submit work. Instructure stated Canvas was in maintenance mode while security measures were assessed, and UC officials emphasized that the platform would not be restored until it was confirmed safe. The breach highlights vulnerabilities in widely used educational technology systems and the potential academic impact of cyberattacks.