Dear OUSD Families and Students,

I am writing to share important information regarding a recent cybersecurity incident involving Canvas, the online learning platform used by Allan Hancock College.

While our District and Charter High School do not use Canvas for our daily operations, we are aware that many of our students use this platform to complete coursework through their concurrent enrollment at Allan Hancock College. Because some of our students have active Canvas accounts through the college, we want to ensure you have the most current information regarding a data breach reported by Instructure, the company that owns Canvas.

What Happened? Instructure recently experienced a global cybersecurity incident that impacted some of its systems. Because Canvas is a cloud-based platform, student information is managed by Instructure on their own external servers.

What Information Was Involved? Instructure has indicated that the following types of information may have been accessed:

• Usernames and school-issued email addresses (Allan Hancock student emails)

• Course names and enrollment details

• Messages sent within the Canvas platform

What Information Is Safe? Instructure has confirmed that sensitive data—including passwords, dates of birth, government identification numbers, and financial information—was NOT compromised.

What Does This Mean for Your Student? At this time, no specific action is required from you or your student. Instructure is currently working to verify exactly which individuals were affected. If we receive specific notification that your student’s information was impacted, we will reach out to you directly with further updates.

Next Steps and Digital Safety While no action is required now, this is a good opportunity to remind students about healthy digital habits:

• Change Reused Passwords
   While passwords were not compromised, students should change any accounts using the same or similar passwords as their Canvas login.

• Be Alert for Phishing Scams
   Students may receive fake emails or texts appearing to come from colleges, instructors, or Canvas support. Avoid clicking suspicious links or sharing login information.

• Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
   Turn on MFA for college, email, and personal accounts whenever available for added security.

• Avoid Sharing Sensitive Information in Canvas
   Because Canvas messages may have been accessed, students should avoid sending personal or financial information through learning platforms.

• Monitor Accounts for Unusual Activity
   Watch for unexpected password reset emails, login alerts, or suspicious account activity and report concerns to the college’s IT department immediately.

We understand that news of data breaches can be concerning. We are monitoring the situation closely to support our students as they pursue their college-level goals. For the latest official updates from the service provider, you may visit the https://www.instructure.com/incident_update

Thank you for your continued partnership in keeping our school community informed and secure.

Sincerely,