Sacramento State caught in nationwide cyberattack targeting online learning platform

A major cyberattack targeting a widely used educational technology platform is impacting colleges and universities across the country, including schools throughout California.

Education software company Instructure, which operates the online learning platform Canvas, is scrambling to respond after hackers claimed to have accessed sensitive student and faculty information.

Canvas is used by thousands of schools worldwide for coursework, assignments, quizzes, exams and communication between students and instructors.

At Sacramento State, students logging into Canvas on Thursday were reportedly redirected to a page displaying a message from a hacking group calling itself "ShinyHunters." The message claimed the group had obtained student and faculty data and threatened to leak the information unless a ransom is paid.

According to the message posted by the hackers, the stolen data may include student and teacher names, email addresses, student ID numbers and private Canvas messages.

The hackers' message gives Instructure until May 12 to meet their demands.

The cyberattack comes at a critical point in the academic year, as many college students are preparing for final exams and graduation ceremonies.

"It's definitely stressful," said Sacramento State senior Michael Lee Chang. "I don't know what information they have on us. They say they're going to leak it if they don't get their money. If my information is out there, that's awful and it's definitely not helping with the anxiety when I'm just trying to graduate."

Officials say the breach is impacting not only California State University campuses, but also schools within the University of California and California Community Colleges systems.

So far, some school officials say there is no evidence that Social Security numbers, financial information or home addresses were compromised in the breach.

Reports indicate the cyberattack could affect as many as 9,000 schools globally, potentially impacting millions of students, teachers and staff members.

The University of California and California Community College systems said they were in active communication with Instructure regarding the cyberattack.