A cyberattack hit several universities and schools in the US, Canada and Australia, causing major disruptions to academic software Canvas.

The hacking group ShinyHunters claimed responsibility, warning that stolen data would be released unless a ransom was paid. At Mississippi State University, exams were postponed as students struggled with sudden outages, while other institutions like Penn State and the University of Sydney reported similar issues.

Instructure, which owns Canvas, issued updates stating that the service was available for most users but some universities still faced disruptions. The University of British Columbia advised students to log out immediately following the cyber breach.

Students at institutions such as UCLA and the University of Chicago faced difficulties submitting assignments through the platform, while Northwestern University's Jacques Abou-Rizk received a ransom message that he was unable to resolve by Friday.

The incident has prompted renewed calls for stronger cybersecurity measures, with US Senator Chuck Schumer urging more defence against cyber risks in an age of rapidly developing AI technologies.