A cyberattack has hit several universities and schools in the US, the BBC reported. It has caused chaos, confusion and major disruption amid tensions around the end of the school year. The attack took place on May 7.
According to reports, the ShinyHunters hacking group has claimed responsibility for the attack, which led to a disruption in access to the academic software Canvas, used by thousands of schools and universities across the country.
Instructure, the company that owns Canvas, posted an update on its website, stating that Canvas is "available to most users".
The cyberattacks targeted universities and schools across the US, from California to New York.
Pennsylvania State University wrote in a message to students that "no one has access" to Canvas, adding that a resolution was unlikely within 24 hours. The university canceled some exams scheduled for May 7 and 8.
Students at the University of California, Los Angeles, were having trouble submitting assignments online through the Canvas platform.
The University of Illinois at Chicago has temporarily disabled its Canvas page after reports that it had been hacked.
"Chicago Maroon", the university's newspaper, published a screenshot of a message from ShinyHunters that appears to demand a ransom. The message encourages the university to contact the hacking group personally "to negotiate a settlement" and avoid "their data being exposed."
The screenshots show that the targeted threats from the group began on Sunday, May 3, with deadlines set for May 7 and 12, said Luke Connolly, a threat analyst at cybersecurity firm Emisoft. He said discussions about extortion payments may continue.