In an email sent to parents and students Thursday afternoon, the district said users across the country may have seen unauthorized messages appear while using Canvas and advised families to refrain from accessing the system until more information becomes available.
By Levi Gwaltney
Source: Las Cruces Public Schools
Cover Photo Courtesy NMSU
Las Cruces Public Schools notified families Thursday that the Canvas online learning platform is currently offline following what the district described as an “active cybersecurity incident” affecting the platform nationwide.
In an email sent to parents and students Thursday afternoon, the district said users across the country may have seen unauthorized messages appear while using Canvas and advised families to refrain from accessing the system until more information becomes available.
“This issue is limited to Canvas and its infrastructure,” the district wrote. “There is no indication that Las Cruces Public Schools systems, devices or networks have been impacted.”
The district also emphasized that the incident is unrelated to separate technology disruptions experienced earlier this week.
Instructure, the company behind Canvas, describes the platform as a learning management system used by K-12 schools, universities, businesses and government organizations. Canvas is one of the most widely used online learning platforms in the United States, providing digital access to assignments, grades, classroom communication and instructional materials.
The disruption has affected schools and universities across the country, and local student media and regional reports also indicated New Mexico State University students were affected by the Canvas disruption.
Multiple outlets reported that student names, email addresses, ID numbers and user messages may have been exposed. Instructure has stated there is currently no evidence that passwords, financial information, government identifiers or dates of birth were compromised.
As of Thursday evening, Instructure had placed portions of Canvas into maintenance mode while the company investigated the incident.
For many Las Cruces families, the disruption comes against the backdrop of a previous ransomware attack on Las Cruces Public Schools. In 2019, a ransomware attack shut down computers and networks across the district, and later reporting described the incident as beginning with a phishing email that gave attackers access months before the ransomware was deployed.
LCPS said teachers may use alternative methods to communicate assignments and coursework while Canvas remains unavailable. The district also stated students will not be penalized for disruptions related to the outage.
Cybersecurity experts and educational institutions nationwide are encouraging users to remain cautious of phishing attempts and suspicious emails connected to the incident while investigations continue.
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