Lawmaker urges victims of global Canvas hack seek help from privacy watchdog

Local educational institutions, students and parents affected by the recent massive hacking of the global learning platform Canvas are urged to proactively contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data for assistance, lawmaker William Wong Kam-fai said on Monday. 

Speaking on a radio program, Wong, also the Associate Dean (External Affairs) of the Faculty of Engineering at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, noted that the breach has impacted approximately 9,000 educational institutions worldwide. 

He explained that Canvas facilitates essential academic functions such as grading and course management, and stores substantial personal data of teachers and students. He warned that criminals could exploit the leaked information for phishing scams.

Wong urged teachers, students and parents to stay vigilant as any unsolicited messages or correspondence from unknown sources should be carefully verified to avoid falling victim to deception. 

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data previously stated that it has received notifications from five local institutions regarding data leaks linked to the Canvas breach. 

The affected organizations include the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, the Hong Kong Institute of Construction and the Hong Kong Education City Limited.

 

𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓