University of Illinois

massmail.illinois.edu • May 8, 2026

All final exams & assignments scheduled for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are postponed May 7, 2026 8:45 PM

Dear Faculty, Staff, and Students,

Due to the global cyberattack that has taken Canvas offline at universities across the country, all final exams and assignments, including papers, projects, etc., scheduled for Friday, Saturday, or Sunday are postponed. For the sake of consistency and clarity, the university is extending this policy to all classes, including those that don’t currently utilize Canvas.

Some Canvas users viewed a message as part of the cybersecurity incident that contained malicious website links and other points. It is important to not click or visit these links as they can also be sources of malware or potential compromise.

University leaders will consult with the Deans and the Senate Executive Committee regarding steps and will communicate to the campus community before noon on Sunday, May 10, with more details regarding Canvas, assignments, and final exams currently scheduled for week.

As more information becomes available, updates will be posted on the University Statements webpage and the 2026 Canvas Incident page . Instructure, the parent company of Canvas, is still investigating and has not shared specific information with us regarding Illinois data included in the breach.

Illinois is one of thousands of universities currently experiencing the same issue. Technology and academic leaders are communicating with our peer institutions as we explore options for steps. I understand this situation adds new stress and uncertainty to the end of the academic year, and I thank you for your patience as we work through this disruption.

Sincerely, John Coleman Provost

The full story

This article is one source in a clustered incident — the cluster page carries the summary, timeline and every other outlet covering it.

Major Data Breach at Canvas Affects 275 Million Users Instructure, the company behind the Canvas learning management system, confirmed a significant data breach involving the ShinyHunters hacking group. The attackers claim to have stolen over 3.65TB of data, potentially impacting up to 275 million users, including students, teachers, and staff from nearly 9,000 institutions worldwide. The exposed information includes names, email addresses, student ID numbers, and private messages, although there is no evidence that passwords or financial data were compromised. Instructure is currently working with cybersecurity experts and law enforcement to investigate the breach and has implemented security measures, including patching vulnerabilities and increasing monitoring. The attackers have threatened to leak the data unless their demands are met, with a deadline set for May 6, 2026. The incident highlights the growing trend of cyberattacks targeting educational technology firms, which hold vast amounts of personal information. 590 sources 71

Extracted Entities

University of Illinois

The full story

Extracted Entities

Attack Types (2)

Companies (2)

Tools (1)