Lincoln Technical Institute is notifying students about a security incident that happened not on its own network, but at Instructure Holdings, Inc., the company behind the Canvas learning management system used by Lincoln Tech and roughly 9,000 other schools. Instructure has said the incident involved a hacking or system intrusion, with unauthorized activity first detected on April 29, 2026, and additional related activity found on May 7, 2026. Instructure revoked access, brought in outside forensic experts, and has told Lincoln Tech it believes the incident is now contained. Neither Instructure nor Lincoln Tech has reported seeing any evidence that the exposed information has actually been misused.
This notice applies to Lincoln Tech students whose information was stored within Canvas. Because this was a vendor-side incident affecting many Canvas customers, Lincoln Tech says it cannot say with certainty whether any individual student’s data was specifically accessed, and it is notifying affected students out of caution rather than confirmed proof of exposure.
What information was exposed?
- Full name
- Email address
- Student ID number
- Course names
- Enrollment information
- Direct messages sent within Canvas
Instructure has told Lincoln Tech that it found no indication that passwords, dates of birth, government-issued ID numbers, financial account information, or core academic records such as coursework and submissions were involved in this incident.
What should you do now?
- Watch for unsolicited emails or messages that claim to come from Canvas or Lincoln Tech, especially anything asking you to log in or share personal details, and report suspicious messages to [email protected].
- Use a strong, unique password for your Lincoln Tech and Canvas accounts, and avoid reusing passwords across other sites.
- Review your credit card and bank statements periodically for anything unfamiliar, even though no financial data has been confirmed as exposed.
- Request your free annual credit report from each of the three major bureaus at www.annualcreditreport.com or by calling 1-877-322-8228, staggering requests every four months if you want ongoing visibility.
- Consider placing a fraud alert with one of the three credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion) if you want an added layer of protection before opening new credit.
- Since student ID numbers and enrollment details were involved, consider signing up for a service like Aura or LifeLock, which can alert you if your information appears elsewhere, giving you an early warning if the situation changes.
If you have questions or believe your Canvas account may have been affected, Lincoln Tech can be reached at [email protected].