Ransomware attack

Canvas Hack Devastates Students During Finals Week

Students across the nation encountered a ransomware message on their Canvas learning platforms, impacting universities and school districts. This disruption occurred during a critical finals week and is attributed to hacking group ShinyHunters, who demanded ransom to prevent further data leaks. Instructure, the parent company of Canvas, confirmed a cybersecurity incident and is investigating, noting a previous breach on May 1st that exposed user information. The widespread reliance on Canvas for grades, study materials, and communication has highlighted the vulnerability of educational institutions to such attacks, causing student anxiety and forcing some universities to revise schedules.

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Abilene Rejects Ransom Demand From Russian Hackers

On April 18th, the City of Abilene suffered a ransomware attack by the Russian group Qilin, resulting in the theft of 477 gigabytes of data and the shutdown of multiple city departments. Qilin demands a ransom by May 27th, threatening data release on the dark web if payment isn’t made; however, paying ransoms is not recommended due to the high costs of recovery and no guarantee of compliance. Cybersecurity expert Sai Huda advises Abilene residents to strengthen their personal security measures, and the city is working with professionals to fully eliminate the malware and prevent future attacks. The city confirms its decision to not pay the ransom and apologizes for service disruptions.

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