Canvas resumes after hack, University of Nebraska campuses remain offline

The University of Nebraska System continues to evaluate security risks before fully restoring access to Canvas, the learning management platform used by students and faculty across its campuses. The decision follows a cyberattack attributed to the hacking group Shiny-Hunters, which disrupted services for millions of users globally, including Harvard and Princeton. Canvas’ parent company, Instructure, resumed operations for most users on May 8, though Canvas Beta and Canvas Test systems remain in maintenance. The attack began on May 1, with Instructure confirming exposure of student names, ID numbers, and internal messages, though no evidence of passwords, birthdates, or financial data was found at the time. The disruption occurred during finals week at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) and other campuses, forcing instructors to rely on email for assignments and exams. Some schools postponed finals scheduled for May 8 due to the outage, while students and faculty faced delays in submitting work and accessing course materials. Shiny-Hunters, described by cybersecurity firm Emisoft as a loose group of U.S. and U.K.-based teenagers and young adults, has claimed responsibility for the attack. The group previously targeted Live Nation’s Ticketmaster subsidiary, according to reports. Instructure’s Chief Information Security Officer, Steve Proud, stated that further updates would be shared if additional sensitive data was compromised. The University of Nebraska System has not yet announced a timeline for full Canvas restoration, emphasizing ongoing risk assessments. Students and faculty have been advised to monitor official communications for updates on alternative methods for coursework and exams.