Lily Huynh / The Cougar
UH is among nearly 9,000 schools worldwide affected by a cyberattack by criminal extortion group ShinyHunters on Infrastructure, which houses the Canvas Learning Management System.
Canvas is currently inaccessible for students. According to a Reddit thread started one hour ago, students are unable to turn in assignments or take final exams. The Cougar has reached out to the University, but has not yet received a response regarding guidance for students.
Photography senior Raphael Fernandez, who has a final exam for an online class due on Sunday, describes the situation as “frustrating”.
“I just hope it’s either resolved soon or there’s an alternative to make up the final because I have an A in the class, but if this continues and I’m unable to submit, I get a zero and my grade falls into the seventies,” Fernandez said. “UH better not make me retake or repay for the class, because why can’t a big company like Infrastructure with thousands of schools nationwide not have better security?”
ShinyHunters claims that 275 million individuals’ data is included in the breach. Other universities affected include the University of Oklahoma, Duke University and the University of Pennsylvania. Rutgers University, the University of Colorado Boulder and Tilburg University have issued warnings asking students to be vigilant for potential phishing emails.
A screenshot of the message popping up when students try to open the Canvas LMS system.
This is a developing story and The Cougar will continue to report on it.
news@thedailycougar.com
