LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Online learning platforms across Nevada are back up after a global cybersecurity incident took Canvas offline.
Canvas services came back online Friday morning for UNLV, Clark County School District, NSHE and other Nevada schools after an outage that started Thursday afternoon.
MORE ON FOX5: Canvas restored for CCSD, UNLV, NSHE after global cybersecurity incident
UNLV cybersecurity institute addresses threats
The hack comes after UNLV implemented its own cybersecurity institute earlier this year called Nevada Institute of Cybersecurity (NIC).
UNLV says recent data shows the state is filling only about 71% of its open cybersecurity jobs, slightly behind the national average.
Through this institute, students get hands-on learning experience combing through vulnerabilities businesses could have when it comes to their cybersecurity.
“Students do bug hunting where you go into a company’s website and applications and try to find bugs there and report it to the website,” said Austin Choy, a student. “Students having the opportunity to be able to participate in different organizations and get hands on experience outside the classroom is the biggest way they are going to learn anything in cybersecurity,”
Juyeon Jo, founding executive director, said cybersecurity protects economy, jobs and critical infrastructure.
“The mission of the NIC is to strengthen Nevada’s economy and provide workforce infrastructure,” Jo said.
Associate Director Yoohwan Kim said the recent Canvas cyber attack is proof that “no one is immune” to cyber attacks and Nevada is vulnerable for a variety of reasons.
“It’s overall an awareness issue. Cyber attack is not a technical problem, it’s cultural. So I think we are a little bit behind to make cultural shifts,” Kim said.
The professors say they are also looking into adding courses about cybersecurity and how artificial intelligence could play a role.
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