Students and teachers across the country were deprived of coursework, exams and grades after Canvas, one of the world’s most widely used online learning platforms, was hit by a massive cyberattack during finals week in May 2026. Universities, including Harvard, Rutgers, Georgetown and Iowa State University, reported widespread disruptions as the outage affected access to online assignments and testing systems.
“This has been reported as a national cybersecurity incident,” the IT director at the University of Iowa College of Public Health wrote in announcing the disruption to the school’s online system. “Hopefully we will have a solution soon.”
The breach has raised concerns about the potential for student and faculty data to be exposed, with schools across the country forced to adjust deadlines and exam plans. Learn more about the Canvas cyberattack and the latest updates regarding the shutdown below.
What is canvas?
Canvas is a cloud-based learning management system powered by Instructure and used by schools and universities for assignments, grades, tests, exams, dissertations, and course materials. The platform has more than 30 million active users globally and is used by more than 8,000 educational institutions.
How was Canvas hacked?
The cyberattack was reportedly carried out by hacking group ShinyHunters, which claimed to have hacked into systems connected to Canvas and accessed data from millions of students, teachers and staff. Users who attempted to log in during the outage were reportedly redirected to ransom messages demanding payment to prevent data leakage.
According to Instructure, hackers exploited a vulnerability related to “Free-For-Teacher” accounts. The company later confirmed that some customer data, including names, email addresses, student ID numbers and user messages, may have been accessed, although there was no evidence that passwords or financial information had been compromised.
Is the fabric still broken?
Canvas experienced a widespread outage on May 7, 2026, resulting in students and teachers unable to access coursework, exams, course materials, and grades during finals week. Universities across the country, including Harvard, Georgetown, Columbia and Rutgers, have warned students about the disruption and, in some cases, have modified exam schedules or deadlines.
By late May 7 through May 8, Instructure said Canvas had been restored for “most users,” though some systems — including some test and demo environments — remained under maintenance while the investigation continued.
