The FBI is investigating a service disruption affecting the online Learning Management System (LMS) Canvas, that has impacted schools, educational institutions, and students across the country, including ASU, NAU, and the University of Arizona Global Campus.
An ASU spokesperson issued a statement on X.com, confirming that officials are aware that Canvas has been hacked by a known cybercrime group, ShinyHunters, resulting in site users either being redirected or losing access to the platform.
“This incident is unrelated to any ASU-managed system,” stated the ASU spokesperson on X.com. “The university is looking into the extent to which any data has been compromised and is working with students and faculty to circumvent this disruption in the closing days of the semester.”
The FBI also issued an advisory on X.com to possible victims:
If you are contacted directly by anyone claiming to have your data, we recommend you not send payment or respond to their demands. By receiving a message, that does not necessarily mean your personal information has been compromised. Threat actors often exaggerate or fabricate their access to sensitive or personal information to prompt payment from victims. We encourage individuals to be cautious of unsolicited emails, calls, or texts claiming to be from your school, the LMS provider, or law enforcement and to verify the contact through known channels before responding.
We understand that the immediate concern for individuals/students is determining what, if any, of their data or other sensitive information may have been exposed. At this time, the strongly recommended course is to await formal guidance from your educational institution regarding the scope of the incident and the nature of any affected data.
According to State Press, “When the group first crashed Canvas, upon logging onto the website, some users were met with a notice from ShinyHunters asking for a ransom from all of the schools affected, as payment to prevent data from being released.”
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