The cyberattack on the Canvas learning management system has underscored the need for “national sovereignty” of data storage, according to the University of Canberra’s vice-chancellor.
Bill Shorten, a former federal cabinet minister, said the hack of Canvas creator Instructure – thought to have impacted over 200 million people working or studying at almost 9,000 schools, colleges and universities globally – warranted a “conversation” about whether critical datasets should be stored in Australia.
“How is it that…there’s a breach into one system, and all of a sudden, all the data in Australia is compromised? There’s a national sovereignty argument about where we store our data, and universities need to be part of that conversation.
“Are we happy with critical education information being stored overseas? I haven’t got a view on the ultimate answer on that, but [this is] certainly a wake-up call. We…need some gatekeeping.”
Instructure said the attack, which had alarmed thousands of customers around the globe, appeared to have been “resolved” by 6 May. But further turmoil in the system forced the complete shutdown of the platform in many institutions, including some 25 Australian universities.
