FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - It’s back to business at Broward County Public Schools as officials say Canvas, a platform used by thousands of students, is back online, and the damage from the hackers appears to be minimal.
Hours after the system came back online, the school district posted on the social media platform X that services “had been restored for Broward County Public School users.”
Officials said hackers gained access to information such as student names and email addresses, but not passwords or financial information.
“There has been no confirmation or evidence at all that Broward County Public Schools student data or personnel data has been impacted,” said BCPS Superintendent Dr. Howard Hepburn.
The hack on Thursday came in the middle of finals season. Millions of students were preparing to take final exams and submit papers when the system crashed, and a message from a hacking collective flashed on computer screens.
The system was hacked by a group called ShinyHunters. They said they gained access to data from over 275 million people across roughly 9,000 schools.
The group is now threatening to release the information they’ve gathered thus far unless they receive a ransom before May 12.
Despite the system being back to normal, some experts said the damage may already have been done.
“There are things you have to do to help protect yourself, protect your information, protect your money. You’ve got to change your passwords on a regular basis. You’ve got to use that two-factor authentication. Those security updates you see on your computer, go ahead, take the time to download them,” said Richard Kolko, former FBI special agent.
Other schools across Florida, such as the University of Florida and Florida International University, were also affected. All systems have since returned to service.
But some students at Florida International University appear to be brushing off the cybersecurity breach, saying they aren’t that concerned.
“For me, like, I was like, all right, they got my number, they got my email, like, sure. Like, yeah, my messages, like, you see me texting my professor, like, all right, like, that’s fine, you know,” said a student.
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