A major cyberattack has targeted the U.S.-based educational platform Canvas LMS, prompting schools and universities across the country to contact hackers in an effort to safeguard stolen student data.
According to international news reports, the hacking group Shiny Hunter stole approximately 6.65 terabytes of data, including names, emails, and private messages of students from nearly 9,000 educational institutions. The breach has significantly disrupted students preparing for exams and assignments.
The FBI has confirmed that it is aware of the breach affecting the U.S. educational system, though the platform’s name was not officially disclosed.
Meanwhile, Instructure, the parent company of Canvas, stated that the issue has been resolved and services have been restored.
Reports also revealed that 30,000 Facebook accounts were compromised as hackers exploited a vulnerability in the platform’s Free for Teacher feature. The feature has been temporarily disabled, and additional security measures are being implemented.
