Good afternoon,
We want to provide an update on the ongoing security incident affecting Canvas, our Learning Management System.
Canvas is currently operational. However, as this situation continues to evolve, we cannot guarantee uninterrupted availability. We encourage all faculty, students, and staff to take advantage of Canvas being accessible now and not wait to complete critical end-of-semester activities.
What happened:
Canvas is operated by Instructure, a third-party Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) provider. Instructure has been the target of a ransomware attack affecting institutions nationwide. As a result of this attack, it is possible that the following limited set of data associated with WSU Canvas accounts may have been exposed: name, WSU email address, and student ID number.
Importantly, this incident is limited to Instructure’s systems. No other WSU systems or services have been affected.
What we are doing:
Our Canvas service team is actively working through two areas of potential impact — data integrity and system functionality. We are working with our technical team to validate that both have been fully addressed before confirming resolution. We will communicate confirmation once our team has verified that Canvas is functioning as expected and that any data concerns have been assessed.
We recommend the following in the meantime:
Faculty: Download course materials and back up any critical data while Canvas is available. In consultation with the Provost’s Office, we strongly recommend that you submit final grades as soon as possible and not wait until the grade submission deadline on Tuesday (May 12).
Students: Log in and download any course materials, assignments, or grades you may need. If anything appears out of place or incorrect in your course information, please contact the Crimson Service Desk immediately.
ITS is working closely with the Attorney General’s team, the Provost’s Office, and monitoring guidance from Instructure. We will provide further updates, including any additional information about notification requirements, as this situation develops.
For assistance, please contact the Canvas support team at aoi.ats@wsu.edu or (509) 335-4320. Assistance is also available via the Crimson Service Desk at (509) 335-4357 or crimsonservicedesk@wsu.edu.
Thank you,
Tony Opheim
Vice President and Chief Information Officer
T. Chris Riley-Tillman
Provost and Executive Vice President