Canvas Maker Pays Hackers to Delete Stolen Student Data

Instructure pays ransom to hackers to delete 3.5TB of student data stolen in Canvas breach, affecting exams at 9,000 universities worldwide.

By Content Team

May 18, 2026

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Instructure, the company behind Canvas learning software, paid cybercriminals to delete stolen student data after a major hack disrupted 9,000 universities across the US, Canada, Australia, and UK last week.

The Shiny Hunters group threatened to release 3.5 terabytes of student and university data unless paid in bitcoin. Students taking exams were particularly affected, with some losing work mid-test when ransom messages appeared on their screens.

Instructure confirmed it "reached an agreement" with the hackers, who promised to delete the data and not extort institutions. However, paying ransoms goes against law enforcement advice and offers no guarantee data is actually destroyed. The breach was discovered April 29th, marking the third time Shiny Hunters has targeted Canvas.

Source: BBC

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