Is Clark University - ITS down?

Microsoft Copilot is experiencing an outage. Because Microsoft 365's landing page is now Copilot, users may also experience errors when trying to access other 365 apps. It is possible to access specific online applications (Word, Teams, Excel) by visiting [Outlook Online](https://outlook.com/owa/clarku.edu), clicking the waffle icon (9 dots) in the top left, searching for the application you need, and clicking on that icon. ITS will continue to monitor this outage, and update when the outage is resolved or if the outage escalates. If you have any questions about this outage, please contact the ITS Help Desk at 508-793-7745 or [email protected].

We've now resolved the incident. Thanks for your patience.

We've now resolved the incident. Thanks for your patience.

We've now resolved the incident. Thanks for your patience.

Canvas at Clark is currently experiencing an outage. ITS is working with Instructure (Canvas' parent company) to resolve this outage. If you have any questions about this outage, please contact the ITS Help Desk at 508-793-7745 or [email protected].

Instructure is reporting that most users can now access Canvas, and our monitoring is shows that users are successfully logging in and using canvas.clarku.edu. ITS will continue to communicate closely with Instructure on this outage, and their recent security incident. We will update the ITS status page, and the community as appropriate.

Instructure, the parent company of Canvas, is reporting a nationwide security incident. Instructure believes the incident is now contained. Canvas remains available and functional. We are actively monitoring updates from Instructure and assessing the impact on Clark data. You can learn more from the [Instructure Incident Report](https://status.instructure.com/incidents/9wm4knj2r64z). If you have any questions about this incident, please contact the ITS Help Desk at 508-793-7745 or [email protected].

The following email was sent to campus with an update on the security incident. We are writing to share an update about a recent security incident involving Instructure, the company that provides Canvas. - You do not need to take any action. **Your Clark Account password was not part of the breach**. Instructure never knows your Clark Account password. - Canvas is fully operational and Instructure has implemented additional safeguards to better protect the environment. There is **no indication that Clark users need to stop using Canvas**. - Although there is no evidence of related phishing at this time, we encourage everyone to **be especially cautious with unexpected emails**, especially messages related to Canvas courses, asking you to click a link, open an attachment, or provide login information. ### What We Know On April 29, Instructure detected unauthorized activity in the Canvas environment used by institutions worldwide. They immediately revoked access, started an investigation and engaged CrowdStrike, an outside cyber-forensic expert. On May 7, the same unauthorized actor accessed the system again. Out of caution, Instructure took Canvas offline to contain activity, investigate and apply additional safeguards. On May 11, Instructure confirmed that measures have been taken to secure the compromised data and prevent its publication. ### How This Impacts Clark At this time, ITS is awaiting the exact data impacted by this incident from Instructure. Instructure has stated that it could include usernames, email addresses, course names, enrollment information and Canvas messages. We have been told that it does not include passwords, course content or submissions. ### What Happens Now Clark ITS will continue to work closely with Instructure and our security partners, to identify the data that has been impacted and take appropriate actions. If any further action is required, we will provide additional information via email and the ITS status page. Instructure has provided a comprehensive incident information page with a timeline, communications, and frequently asked questions. For Clark-specific updates, monitor our status page. ### Support If you have any questions about this incident after reviewing Instructure’s incident page, please contact the ITS Help Desk (support.clarku.edu, [email protected], or 508-793-7745).