Important Notice - Canvas Incident

Dear P-CCS Families,

We are writing to inform you of a recent cybersecurity incident involving Canvas, a learning management system used to support instruction across our district.

Instructure, the parent company of Canvas, has reported that they recently experienced a cybersecurity incident perpetrated by a criminal threat actor. They alerted us that our district was impacted by this incident and that they are working with outside forensics experts to understand the level of impact from this incident. Based on their investigation so far, the data taken includes names, email addresses, student ID numbers, and messages among Canvas users. At this time, they have found no evidence that other data has been exfiltrated as a result of this incident.

This is a nationwide incident affecting millions of K–12 and college/university students who use Canvas. While the issue did not originate within our district, we are treating it with the utmost seriousness. Our technology department is in close communication with Canvas and its parent company, Instructure, and we are reviewing our own security protocols. We have also consulted with our insurance provider to ensure all appropriate precautions are being taken.

The privacy and security of our student and staff information remain our highest priority. At this time, there is no indication of an ongoing risk to district systems, however, we encourage families to remain vigilant. Please be cautious of unsolicited emails or messages that appear to come from Canvas, especially those requesting personal information or prompting password resets. Monitoring student accounts for any unusual activity is also recommended.

Instructure reports that Canvas is fully back online, available, and safe to use. Their external forensic partner has reviewed the known indicators and found no evidence that the threat actor currently has access to the platform. Our technology department will continue to monitor the situation closely and we will keep you informed of any significant updates. 

For the most up-to-date information from Canvas regarding this incident, please visit:
https://www.instructure.com/incident_update

Thank you for your continued partnership and understanding.

Plymouth-Canton Community Schools