Canvas outage disrupts final exams for students at top universities
A major outage of the Canvas learning management system disrupted final exams for students at universities including Harvard, Princeton, Georgetown, Indiana University Indianapolis, and Ivy Tech College, as well as K-12 districts, beginning Thursday. The hacking group ShinyHunters claimed responsibility, though Instructure confirmed the platform was restored and no evidence of ongoing access was found by forensic partners.
The Canvas learning management system experienced a widespread outage beginning Thursday, affecting tens of millions of users globally, including students at top universities like Harvard, Princeton, and Georgetown, as well as Indiana University Indianapolis and Ivy Tech College. The disruption occurred during final exams, forcing students to adapt—some resorted to paper-based testing after Canvas became inaccessible. Seth Massey, a sophomore at IU Indianapolis, reported being unable to access his final exam, while nursing student Kennedy Riley described reverting to Scantron sheets and No. 2 pencils for her microbiology test. Canvas is used by schools, teachers, and students worldwide to manage online learning materials, tests, and assignments. Instructure, the parent company, confirmed the platform was fully restored by Friday and stated that a forensic review found no evidence the threat actor retained access. The company also removed the access path exploited during the breach. The outage impacted not only higher education but also K-12 districts, exacerbating stress for students preparing for finals. Some graduating students faced potential delays due to exam disruptions. ShinyHunters, a hacking group, claimed responsibility for the breach, though Instructure has not confirmed the group’s involvement. Instructure’s statement emphasized that the platform was operational again and that users could resume normal activities. The incident highlights vulnerabilities in digital learning infrastructure during critical academic periods.
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