UT reschedules finals after cyberattack disrupts online portal Canvas

The University of Tennessee at Knoxville rescheduled final exams from May 8 to May 9 following a cyberattack that disrupted access to the Canvas online portal. The attack, attributed to the international hacker group ShinyHunters, forced Canvas offline on May 7, impacting education institutions nationwide during a critical exam period. Provost John Zomchick confirmed in an 8:10 a.m. email on May 8 that Canvas was temporarily down but later restored. He advised faculty and students to download course materials as a backup and urged flexibility due to the disruption. The university’s Office of Innovative Technology, which manages Canvas, Wi-Fi, and NetIDs, remains offline. Knox County Schools also reported interrupted access to Canvas, stating in a May 7 message that cybersecurity incidents are increasingly common across organizations. The district emphasized its protocols for responding to such threats but did not provide further updates on May 8. ShinyHunters targeted Canvas users who logged in before the platform was taken offline, exploiting the disruption for potential extortion. Instructure, Canvas’ parent company, is collaborating with affected institutions, including UT and Knox County Schools, to resolve the issue. The incident highlights broader vulnerabilities in educational technology systems, with both universities and school districts working to mitigate risks and restore normal operations.