Canvas reaches deal with hackers to return data, including Hong Kong users

Parent company Instructure says hackers returned and destroyed data of thousands of users after deal, with no extortion expected after global breach

Canvas, the education platform hit by a global data breach affecting 72,571 Hongkongers, has reached an agreement with the hackers to return all compromised data.

Instructure, the parent company of Canvas, has said it would hold a webinar for its leadership on Wednesday to provide details of the attack and discuss measures to “harden the system”.

The breach, which has been unfolding since last Thursday, is estimated to have affected about 9,000 institutions worldwide.

In a statement on its website, Instructure said it had reached an agreement with the attacker that included the return and destruction of any data stored by the hackers.

“We have been informed that no Instructure customers will be extorted as a result of this incident, publicly or otherwise,” it said.

“This agreement covers all impacted Instructure customers, and there is no need for individual customers to attempt to engage with the unauthorised actor.”