The University of South Florida is aware of a nationwide cybersecurity incident involving
Instructure, the company that owns Canvas, a web-based learning management system
used by thousands of educational institutions across the country. Instructure has
informed us that USF is one of the universities impacted by the incident.
Temporarily, Canvas cannot be accessed. USF understands the inconvenience this causes
for our students, faculty and staff, especially at the end of a semester. We recognize
that students are still taking final exams, makeup exams, or may still need to submit
classwork through Canvas. Final grades are not due until 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, May
12. In the interim, USF is exploring alternatives for those affected and will share
updates as they are available.
USF is actively monitoring the situation and working directly with Instructure and
law enforcement to assess any specific impacts to university systems or data. Instructure
has engaged a third-party forensics firm for an investigation and notified law enforcement
authorities.
USF’s priority is the security and privacy of our students, faculty and staff. We
encourage everyone to remain vigilant against phishing or suspicious communication,
and report any unusual activity.
As we continue to monitor the situation and receive information from Instructure,
we will share updates here.