The recent cyber attack affecting nearly 9,000 educational institutions has prompted Instructure, the developer of Canvas, to confirm an agreement with the hackers. This breach involved significant data theft, including student ID numbers, email addresses, and enrolment details.
Instructure stated on its website that the company has successfully negotiated the return of the stolen data, along with digital confirmation that it has been destroyed by the cybercriminal group ShinyHunters. The firm emphasized that no customer will face extortion as a consequence of the incident.
Students and educators using Canvas received warnings last week about potential data leaks unless negotiations with ShinyHunters were finalized by May 12. Instructure's CEO, Steve Daly, acknowledged the disruption caused by the breach and assured all affected institutions that they need not engage with the hackers individually.
Canvas serves as a crucial platform for educational activities, including assignment submissions and communications, utilized widely across Australia, the United States, and Canada.