College Learning Platform Canvas Still Working Through Data Breach: What Students and Parents Need to Know

Instructure, the company behind Canvas (a widely used college and university learning platform), experienced a data breach that is taking much longer to investigate than anyone anticipated. Through June, the company was still finalizing findings about what data was compromised at each school. In early July, Instructure began sending the first wave of detailed information to affected institutions through secure file-sharing links. If you or your children use Canvas at college or university, your student data may have been exposed. Canvas is used by millions of students across educational institutions. Each school is receiving specific information about what data from their students was affected, but this process has been slow. Parents and students should contact their school's IT security office to find out if their institution was impacted and what specific information was compromised.

Here is what to do right now. First, contact your school's security office or Canvas administrator to ask if your data was part of the breach. Second, change your Canvas password immediately and make sure it is different from passwords you use elsewhere. Third, watch your school email account closely for updates from your institution. Fourth, be extremely careful about any emails claiming to be from Canvas or your school asking you to click links or provide login information. Fifth, if your Canvas account is connected to other school services, consider changing those passwords as well.

This breach highlights a growing problem in educational technology. Schools rely on many outside companies to provide learning platforms, but when these vendors experience breaches, students and families are left waiting for answers. Ask your school what security measures they require from technology vendors. Teach your children to use unique passwords for school accounts and to report suspicious emails or login requests to school IT staff immediately.