We want to provide you with an update regarding the cybersecurity incident involving Instructure Inc., the parent company of Canvas. Canvas has notified public school systems and universities across the country of a widespread cybersecurity event. Prince Edward County Public Schools, like many institutions, uses this educational administration software. This incident is limited to Canvas systems and has not impacted our division’s internal IT systems.
Some students and staff may have seen a message related to this situation when attempting to log in to Canvas on May 7, 2026. As a precaution, Canvas temporarily took its systems offline. Students will not be penalized for any missed or late assignments resulting from the outage.
As of Friday, May 8, Canvas reported that the issue had been resolved and access restored. Prince Edward County Public Schools also restored access to Canvas later that day.
Instructure has informed us that it has taken steps to secure the Canvas platform, engaged third-party cybersecurity experts to conduct an investigation, and is working closely with law enforcement.
Because the investigation is being conducted by Canvas, the company is managing all aspects of the process, and we are not directly involved in the full scope of the investigation at this time. Canvas is used as an educational platform, and any student information potentially involved would be limited to basic account information, such as names, email addresses, student IDs, and coursework-related information.
Prince Edward County Public Schools takes the privacy and security of our students’ and staff members’ information very seriously. We are working to ensure that Canvas directly notifies any impacted individuals regarding the details of any information involved.
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we continue to work through this matter. We are committed to keeping you informed.
Sincerely,
Prince Edward County Public Schools