Systemwide Canvas Outage
May 8 Update – Access Restored
Canvas is now back online for all Los Rios students, faculty, and staff.
All users should remain cautious and be wary of unexpected Canvas messages or emails, especially those requesting money or asking you to click unfamiliar links.
We recognize this outage has been challenging and disruptive. We encourage everyone to extend patience and flexibility to one another, including consideration for students impacted by assignment, test, or deadline disruptions. Los Rios will follow statewide security recommendations as Canvas operations resume.
Updated: May 8, 2026, at 12:42 pm
What Happened?
Instructure, the vendor that provides our learning management system, Canvas, experienced a data breach in early May 2026. Some Los Rios information that was stored on the Canvas platform may have been compromised, including names, email addresses, student ID numbers, and messages between Canvas users. At this time, Instructure does not believe that passwords, dates of birth, government identifiers (such as social security numbers), or financial information were compromised.
We have no evidence that any confidential Los Rios student or employee information was part of this breach, or that any Los Rios systems were compromised as a result of the Instructure/Canvas security incident. As soon as the issue was known, Los Rios IT proactively disconnected data connections between Canvas and other Los Rios systems.
What's Next?
Canvas is now back online for all Los Rios students, faculty, and staff. All users should remain cautious and be wary of unexpected Canvas messages or emails, especially those requesting money or asking you to click unfamiliar links. Report suspicious emails or messages to Los Rios IT via Service Central.
We continue to monitor updates from Canvas and will share those updates as they become available. The security of our students' information is of the utmost importance to us. We appreciate your patience as we navigate this challenging and dynamic situation.
FAQ
Faculty – visit our Faculty FAQ on Canvas Outage for guidance, including information about grade submissions.
What happened with Canvas?
Instructure, the vendor that provides our learning management system, Canvas, experienced a data breach in early May 2026. Some Los Rios information that was stored on the Canvas platform may have been compromised, including names, email addresses, student ID numbers, and messages between Canvas users. At this time, Instructure does not believe that passwords, dates of birth, government identifiers (such as social security numbers), or financial information were compromised.
We have no evidence that any confidential Los Rios student or employee information was part of this breach, or that any Los Rios systems were compromised as a result of the Instructure/Canvas security incident. As soon as the issue was known, Los Rios IT proactively disconnected data connections between Canvas and other Los Rios systems.
Was Los Rios targeted?
According to Instructure, this incident affected a significant number of higher education institutions worldwide – not just Los Rios.
Are Los Rios' systems compromised?
Instructure has found no indication that passwords, dates of birth, government identifiers (such as social security numbers), or financial information were compromised. Additionally, we have taken steps to disconnect data connections between Canvas and our Los Rios systems. We have no reason to believe that any Los Rios systems have been compromised as a result of the Canvas security incident.
What information may have been compromised?
The compromised data may include:
- Names
- Email addresses
- Student ID numbers
- User messages within Canvas
Instructure has found no indication that passwords, dates of birth, government identifiers (such as social security numbers), or financial information were compromised.
Is it safe to use Canvas?
Yes, Canvas is back online for Los Rios students and employees.
As always, stay vigilant against suspicious emails or computer activity:
- Be wary of any new Canvas messages or emails soliciting money to access any element of Canvas or complete Canvas activities.
- Avoid clicking links in messages from users you are not familiar with.
- Report any suspicious communication to Los Rios IT via Service Central and do not engage with it.
What should a student or employee do if they are contacted by hackers?
If you are contacted by anyone claiming to be involved in the recent Instructure/Canvas security incident, please report the suspicious communication to Los Rios IT and do not engage with it.
What actions has Instructure taken?
Instructure has engaged with a third-party forensics firm to investigate and has notified law enforcement. They will continue to address the vulnerabilities identified in the investigation.
Visit the official Instructure status page for the most current information from Instructure.
Do students and employees need to reset their passwords?
If you entered any login information into Canvas after 12:45 pm on Thursday, May 7, please change your password immediately as a precaution.
Otherwise, password resets are not required at this time.
How is Los Rios responding?
We are continuing to work with Instructure to determine the full scope of impact and will provide updates, including resources for affected individuals, as more information becomes available. Protecting the security and privacy of our students, faculty, and staff remains a priority.
How widespread is this incident?
According to Instructure, this incident affected a significant number of higher education institutions worldwide