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DPS Responds to Canvas Cybersecurity Breach

Families received communications from Durham Public Schools officials on Thursday afternoon.

On Thursday afternoon, Durham Public Schools officials acknowledged what we learned earlier this week: Canvas, the online platform used by DPS and developed by Instructure, got hit with a cybersecurity breach on April 25.

The email sent to families around 2:30 p.m. Thursday indicates that Instructure notified the district on May 5 "that district-related data was accessed" by the cybercriminal gang known as the ShinyHunters.

"Since then, DPS has been working to validate and assess potential impact to our district internal systems and other data integration to ensure that you receive accurate information about this incident as it is resolved," the DPS statement reads.

The full scope of the breach isn't known yet, but it's believed that the acquired data includes:

Names
Email addresses
Student ID numbers
Some Canvas messages or communications

Affected accounts may belong to teachers, staff, students, and parent observers.

District officials are monitoring the situation, remaining in contact with Instructure and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Users are advised to remain alert for suspicious emails, phishing attempts, or unexpected requests for login information.

The district doesn't ask for passwords via email. Users should consider changing passwords for their accounts.

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