Tilburg University shuts down Canvas after hack, deadlines suspended

The hack of the digital learning environment Canvas is now having concrete consequences for students and staff at Tilburg University. For example, deadlines are being temporarily suspended, and in-person education may face disruptions in the coming period.

Last week, the university already stated that the hack of Canvas resulted in the theft of data belonging to students and staff at Tilburg University. The compromised information includes names, email addresses, student IDs, and messages exchanged between Canvas users.

The university has since shut down Canvas until further notice. According to the institution, this is a ‘precautionary measure’ because ‘Canvas was not yet sufficiently secured against breaches by hackers.’

Tilburg University informed all those affected via email and is urging students and staff who used Canvas to remain alert for suspicious emails (phishing emails) requesting personal information, including login credentials. Recipients are also explicitly advised not to open attachments included in such messages.

Deadlines suspended

Because Canvas is required for submitting theses and assignments, deadlines are being temporarily suspended. In-person education will continue as normal, although disruptions may occur. For questions regarding the impact of the hack on education, the university refers students to the Student Desk.

Executive Board regrets the situation

In a general email, the Executive Board of Tilburg University said it deeply regrets the incident and is ‘doing everything within our power to normalize the situation as quickly as possible.’

The university was unavailable for comment.

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