Canvas Reaches Deal with Hackers After Major Cyberattack Disrupts Schools

Instructure, the company behind the Canvas online learning platform, announced it reached an agreement with hackers to delete stolen data following a significant cyberattack. The breach, claimed by the group ShinyHunters, forced the platform offline on May 7 during final exams for thousands of schools and universities, including the University of Minnesota. The attackers reportedly accessed data concerning 275 million people across nearly 9,000 institutions and had threatened to leak it unless a ransom was paid. While Instructure confirmed the agreement, it did not disclose whether a ransom was paid or identify the specific actors involved. This incident highlights growing cybersecurity vulnerabilities in educational technology infrastructure. The news report also briefly covers unrelated local Minnesota stories, including scrutiny of state employee awards, a nurses' strike authorization, and a new drone police pilot program, but the primary focus remains on the resolution of the high-profile Canvas security breach and its impact on the academic community.