Cyberattack disrupts Newport schools

NEWPORT — Only a month away from the end of the school year, the Newport School District’s designated learning management system was forced offline by a cyberattack.

Canvas is a digital platform developed by the company Instructure. On Canvas, educators can create and assign online learning materials as well as assess student learning, and students can engage in coursework and receive feedback from educators, according to Instructure. Accessible via computer, cell phone and most other devices, Canvas is a world-leading LMS with over 30 million active users worldwide. At the Newport School District, Canvas is used at the middle and high school levels.