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Instructure (Canvas) Security Updates

Update: Canvas Restoration Timeline and Security Progress

POSTED 5/19/2026 12:15 PM

The CEO of Instructure, the parent company of Canvas, flew to Atlanta last Friday to meet in person with members of our district’s leadership team. During this meeting, district leadership addressed serious concerns regarding platform vulnerabilities and outlined clear expectations for strengthening protections around student and staff data. We are appreciative for Canvas’ recognition of our concerns and their efforts to implement the security measures discussed during that meeting.

Our internal technology team is actively validating these changes, however, we are working toward full restoration of the platform. It is important to clarify – all proposed timelines below for reestablishing service will remain contingent upon successful verification. If required protections are not fully confirmed, these dates may be adjusted.

Assuming validation is completed successfully, the district will proceed with the following phased restoration plan:

Phased Restoration Timeline

Thursday Evening, May 21: Teachers and Staff Access Restored
Full Canvas access will return for classroom preparation and instructional planning. To strengthen security, staff will be required to authenticate during each Canvas session, including through the mobile app.

Tuesday, May 26: Student Access Restored
Canvas access will return for all students. No action is required before this date. Upon restoration, students will log in using ClassLink or the Canvas mobile app for each session.

Thursday, May 28: Parent/Guardian Observer Accounts Restored
Observer access for parents and guardians will be restored within Canvas.

Thursday, May 28: Grade Passback Reactivation
We plan to reactivate Grade Passback, the automated process that syncs grades from Canvas into Infinite Campus, our official grading system. This step depends on successful validation of new security controls and firewall configurations to ensure a secure connection between systems.

We recognize the strain this disruption has placed on students, families, teachers, and staff. Thank you for your patience, flexibility, and partnership as we work to restore services safely and responsibly.

 

 

Instructure/Canvas Update for May 13, 2026

POSTED 5/13/2026 12:15 PM

This is an update regarding the Canvas system following the recent national cybersecurity incident involving Instructure.  

Protecting student information remains our highest priority. Due to the ongoing risks associated with this incident, the Canvas platform will remain offline for the general student and staff population for the remainder of the school year. The system will not be reconnected until it is absolutely certain that it is safe.  

While general access remains suspended, a tightly controlled phased testing and validation project has been initiated. As part of this project, Fulton Virtual teachers will be granted strictly limited access to the system. This provides technology teams with a safe, isolated environment to independently test the security fixes that the vendor claims it is implementing. This testing is essential to determine whether the district will be able to utilize Canvas for summer school.   

Vendor assurances are not being accepted without independent verification. Strict limitations and constraints have been placed on how these specific accounts log in to ensure the broader network remains completely protected during this test.  

This isolated environment is being monitored constantly. If the system's security cannot be fully verified, or if even the slightest risk is detected, this access will be terminated immediately.   

Technology must be used intentionally and safely in educational environments. This incident will continue to be navigated with an abundance of caution, and further updates will be provided as significant developments occur.

 

 

Instructure/Canvas Update for May 11, 2026

POSTED 5/11/2026 4:00 PM

Due to the evolving situation and continued security concerns, Fulton County Schools (FCS) will close out all utilization of Canvas for all users through the end of the school year. As a result, students will no longer have access to FCS content in the Canvas platform.

To support FCS students impacted by the disruption, the district will implement the following: 

Seniors

  • Seniors who were passing a course using Canvas as of May 8, 2026, but had not completed all coursework, may choose to receive either a Pass (P) or an Incomplete (I). Students selecting an Incomplete will have until July 1, 2026, to complete the remaining coursework before a final numerical grade is calculated.
  • Seniors who were failing a course using Canvas as of May 8, 2026, and had not completed all coursework, may choose to receive either a Fail (F) or an Incomplete (I). Students selecting an Incomplete will have until July 1, 2026, to complete the remaining coursework before a final numerical grade is calculated.
  • Seniors who select a Pass (P) will be eligible to participate in spring 2026 graduation ceremonies.
  • Seniors who select an Incomplete (I) will be permitted to participate in spring 2026 graduation ceremonies; however, diplomas will not be issued until all graduation requirements have been successfully completed.

All other students enrolled in courses using the Canvas platform

  • High school students enrolled in Fulton County Credit Recovery courses as of May 8, 2026, who had not completed all coursework, will receive an Incomplete (I) and will have until July 1, 2026, to complete course requirements before a final numerical grade is calculated.
  • Students enrolled in Fulton Virtual program classes as of May 8, 2026, who had not completed all coursework, may choose to receive either a Pass (P) or an Incomplete (I). Students selecting an Incomplete will have until July 1, 2026, to complete all course requirements before a final numerical grade is calculated.
  • Students with ungraded assignments in the Canvas platform during face-to-face instruction may be provided with alternative assignments by the teacher to complete the course before the end of the school year.

Students and parents should verify with their teachers the status of any coursework, whether submitted, graded, and entered the calculations of their grades.

Additional guidance regarding implementation, communication expectations, and timelines will be shared with principals, counselors, and school staff. Please contact your principal for additional guidance.

Thank you for your flexibility and support of students and staff during this challenging situation. 

 

 

Instructure/Canvas Update for May 8, 2026

POSTED 5/8/2026 2:00 PM

This message is to update you on the impact of the ongoing cybersecurity incident experienced by Instructure, the vendor for our Canvas learning management system.

We have temporarily disabled all Fulton County Schools (FCS) access for teacher and student Canvas accounts as we conduct testing of the system and remediation work on our internal connections to system.  Please do not attempt to access your teacher, student, or parent Canvas account on a laptop device or personal cell phone until further notice.

Additionally, the cybersecurity incident may result in messages providing false information and suggesting links to click.  All authorized updates to FCS families will be sent in this format.

We are highly engaged with the Canvas team and the Georgia Department of Education and are monitoring updates from them closely.

As we shared yesterday, while basic user data, such as names and email addresses, and internal messages may have been accessed; student grades were not accessed, nor were passwords. FCS does not share Social Security numbers or financial information for any users.

We want to assure you that our FCS owned and operated technology systems are not at risk, and we are taking proactive measures to keep it that way.  We apologize for the unexpected inconvenience this vendor issue may have caused you.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we develop our plan. We will keep you informed as new information becomes available.

 

 

Canvas Learning Management System Temporarily Unavailable

POSTED 5/7/2026 6:40 PM

We want to make you aware of a recent cybersecurity issue involving Instructure, the company that provides the Canvas learning management system used by Fulton County Schools (FCS). Canvas is used by our middle and high schools to share lessons, submit assignments, check grades, and communicate with classmates and teachers. Some elementary school students also have limited access to Canvas.

Currently, the Canvas website is completely down and inoperable for students, parents, and teachers.

Please know that the cyber incident involved the third-party Canvas software program, not our district’s technology infrastructure. According to the vendor (Instructure), student passwords, social security numbers, and financial information were not involved. However, some limited user information – such as names, email addresses, school assignments, and internal Canvas messages – may have been involved. FCS does not share social security numbers or financial data with Canvas so please be assured that your student’s most sensitive information has not been compromised.

We are working with all appropriate investigative and law enforcement agencies to address the situation.

Our principals, zone superintendents, and academics division are working to identify alternate instructional plans for the remainder of the school year to minimize the disruption of this outage.

We understand that this may be concerning and appreciate your patience as we work through this situation. Our team is closely monitoring updates from the vendor and will continue to keep you informed as we learn more.
 

 

 

Important Security Update Regarding Third-Party Vendor (Instructure/Canvas)

POSTED 5/6/2026 1:00 PM

Fulton County Schools was recently notified by Instructure, the parent company of the Canvas Learning Management System, of a cybersecurity incident involving their systems. This is a nationwide event affecting thousands of educational institutions globally.

What We Know:

The vendor has confirmed that an unauthorized third party gained access to certain user information. According to the vendor, the data involved may include names, email addresses, student ID numbers, and private messages sent within the Canvas platform. They have indicated steps have been take to prevent any additional information from being accessed.

What is NOT Involved:

The vendor has stated that there is currently no evidence that passwords, financial information, social security numbers, or government identifiers were compromised. This district does not provide that information to the vendor for students or staff.

FCS Response:

  • Our technical teams are conducting a thorough review to determine the specific impact on our local school community.
  • Canvas remains operational for continued use by students and staff.
  • We will continue to actively monitor the situation and remain in close contact with the vendor.
     

Next Steps:

Once the vendor confirms more specific details regarding the impact to our district, we will reach out directly to any families whose personal information may have been impacted.

No action is required from you at this time.