BLACK mobile logo

california

education

Cyber attack disrupts swath of US universities and schools nationwide

May 8, 2026

A cyberattack on Thursday disrupted the Canvas academic software platform used by thousands of educational institutions across the United States, with the hacking group ShinyHunters claiming responsibility for the incident. The attack severely impacted universities from coast to coast during the critical end-of-year examination period, forcing some schools like Penn State to cancel exams while students at UCLA couldn't submit assignments online. ShinyHunters appears to be demanding ransom payments from affected institutions, with evidence suggesting they began issuing targeted threats days before the attack and set deadlines for payment.

Who is affected

  • Thousands of schools and universities across the United States
  • Penn State University students and faculty
  • University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) students
  • University of Chicago
  • Instructure (the company that owns Canvas)
  • Students attempting to submit assignments and take exams during end-of-year season

What action is being taken

  • Instructure is working to restore Canvas access
  • Penn State University has cancelled some exams scheduled for Thursday and Friday
  • The University of Chicago has temporarily disabled its Canvas page
  • Discussions regarding extortion payments may be ongoing between institutions and the hacking group

Why it matters

  • This attack is significant because it disrupted critical academic operations during the high-stakes end-of-year examination period when students need to complete assignments and take final exams. The widespread impact across thousands of institutions nationwide demonstrates the vulnerability of educational infrastructure to cyberattacks and the potential for ransomware groups to cause massive disruption by targeting centralized platforms. The timing coincides with growing concerns about cybersecurity threats, as evidenced by Senate leadership calling for stronger federal cybersecurity defenses.

What's next

  • Penn State indicated a resolution was unlikely within 24 hours of Thursday's attack
  • ShinyHunters set deadlines of Thursday and May 12 for targeted institutions
  • Senator Chuck Schumer is urging the Department of Homeland Security to "immediately help states and localities" defend against cyber risks

Read full article from source: BBC