International cyber attack disrupts swathe of universities and schools

A cyber attack on Thursday disrupted numerous universities and schools across the United States, causing significant chaos during the crucial end-of-year period. The hacking group ShinyHunters claimed responsibility for the attack, which took the academic software Canvas offline. Canvas, used by thousands of educational institutions, was reported to be “available for most users” by late Thursday, according to Instructure, the company that owns it. The attack affected schools from California to New York, with Penn State University informing students that access to Canvas was unavailable and that a resolution was unlikely within 24 hours, leading to the cancellation of some exams. Students at the University of California Los Angeles faced difficulties submitting assignments, while the University of Chicago temporarily disabled its Canvas page after receiving a ransom message from ShinyHunters. The attack coincided with a call from Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer for increased cyber defense measures. QUESTION: How might increased cyber attacks on educational institutions impact students’ learning experiences and academic performance?