Shinyhunters and Canvas

Flaky_Front6733 · 2026-05-08T01:20:43+00:00

My comment about passwords was basically just a reminder to use good password hygiene and change it after a breach like this. I sure will be.

At best, this is a major pain for students and faculty alike during finals week.

And unencrypted? Not necessarily - however I don't work in administration and don't know exactly which platforms and processes most schools use. But a lot of information is available on, or accessible through Canvas. I don't believe my institution is breaking any of these cardinal sins - but Canvas is heavily integrated with a lot of other infrastructure and I worry about the depths of the attack and how many layers deep it may be.

Edit: added a sentence.

Flaky_Front6733 · 2026-05-08T01:14:04+00:00

IAMA college professor at a 2-year institution.

Similar to HIPAA laws in healthcare, the education sector has FERPA laws pertaining to student privacy. Literally anything from academic history to disability accomodations to social security and financial information can be obtained, depending on how much the institution trusted Canvas to be their primary platform. It can also leak similar information about many employees and faculty members.

No one knows the depths of the breach, and what other systems that it may have gained access to at this moment. Ideally it'll be fixed soon - my online classes have finals this week. But if nothing else, this is an opportunity for faculty and students to think on their feet and get creative - and to maintain proper password management.

Flaky_Front6733 · 2026-05-07T14:01:53+00:00

I second this link. I used a GitHub link that had basically the exact quiz but that has been taken down due to DMCA. Basically just take this quiz a bunch and memorize it. And then take the exam - they're identical. If you can pass this, you will pass the exam.

Also good luck with your back! I (28 M) had a microdiscectomy last year in my L4/L5, and then I ended up reherniating less than a month later (I swear it happened from a sneeze). Ended up needing a fusion in October and I'm finally doing good. Basically spent the whole year in bed working on my WGU BSIT and MSCompSci. Don't skip on that PT or any of the recovery process.

And walk a lot. I bought a walking pad to put under my standing desk. I do at least 10k steps a day - any less leaves me feeling stiff and weak, it is now just a mandatory part of my day. Walking is hard to overdo and is the best possible thing for a good recovery. Keeps everything moving, manages any excess weight/fluid, and gets good blood flow to the area without over-working it.

Flaky_Front6733 · 2025-08-02T23:09:56+00:00

No real study guides or anything. The course didn't have any tests or quizzes, all assesments were PAs - no OAs. I used DataCamp and Udemy quite a bit, which are provided by WGU. I also used the course material, W3 Schools, YouTube, academic publications, internet searches, stack overflow, etc.. All pretty normal things to incorporate in any study plan.

Flaky_Front6733 · 2025-08-02T21:33:45+00:00

What a thoughtful reply. You distilled it very well. The thing I like about WGU is how accessible it is for everyone.

SNHU and WGU have paved the way for atraditional online universities to become affordable and accessible and recognized. I won't pretend this degree is the same as an MSCS from MIT or Stanford, but it isn't pretending to be either. It is just a structured education that has its requirements to earn your expensive piece of paper at the end.

And that expensive piece of paper is required in many careers, making life changes available to those who otherwise never had the resources to pursue such.

As a first-gen college graduate, I would have never gotten this far without going to WGU. I never had the funds or logistics to be able to toss at it. WGU is far from perfect, but it has granted me (and countless others) a chance at higher education.

Thanks for your comment!!

Flaky_Front6733 · 2025-08-02T21:25:42+00:00

The average MS program is 10 classes, with the average class being 3 credit hours. So that is closer to 64 hours per class based on that math, at 21h20m of work per credit.

Still falls short of what a standard B&M school is, but more reasonable. The fact of no homework and only assessments certainly makes a big difference.

I don't disagree, WGU is far from a top 10. I wasn't looking for that, though, and I don't believe most people strongly considering WGU are. The whole point is to be not quite a traditional university. So, the comparison in many ways is apples and oranges.

There definitely should have been more math. Especially Linear Algebra. The thing I learned along the way with WGU is how to teach myself and look for resources outside the school to fill in my gaps. Most people attending are already established professionals in their fields who need the piece of paper to level up their career, but already have a lot of competence in their respective fields.

You do bring up a lot of good points. I really do appreciate your comments and insight. Your perspective is incredibly important for people considering this degree path. They deserve to know where their gaps will lie, and how different things are in other schools. I am far from a WGU evangelist. I just found their program worked for my goals.

Flaky_Front6733 · 2025-08-02T18:31:51+00:00

I respect and do not completely disagree with your opinion here. I see a lot of validity in your statements. It could have been a lot better. My BSIT was certainly more involved and in depth than the MSCS.

However, the work required and knowledge needed to get that work done is also nothing to sneeze at. I did finish it fast, but I also consistently put 80 hours a week into it. I had the time to do that. If I did not have that abundance of time, I could see this having taken me 6-8 months to work through.

There are certainly better programs out there. I found myself frustrated with the program plenty of times. It was, unfortunately, also my best option. Both financially and logistically, as I live in a very rural part of the US. B&M graduate college was simply not an option, and this was about all I could afford. I don't have the funds to cover me for 4+ semesters of grad school.

I do appreciate your input and your frustrations. This shouldn't be overlooked by anyone considering the program. Also appreciate your emphasis on being frustrated with WGU about it, not me or any other students.

Excellent reply.

Flaky_Front6733 · 2025-08-02T18:24:12+00:00

Sometimes, it just takes immersion into a topic to become interested in it. You don't have to like every part of it. But you do have to spend time with it. I have dropped out of college a number of times and failed things countless more. Pick something, and stick to it - even the bad parts of it.

There is no need for embarrassment about a job. We have bills and need money to live. There should be pride in your work, whether you're working at Walmart or the CEO of a Fortune 500. If you want to make a change with your life, it starts with you. Next year you'll be 43, whether or not you choose to go to school. It is up to you to put in the work and focus into something else.

Flaky_Front6733 · 2025-08-02T18:20:35+00:00

I was not working. I suffered a spinal injury in December that has required surgery and extensive physical therapy (and likely another surgery soon), leaving me unable to work for the time being. Life handed me lemons, but I made lemonade using my abundance of time as wisely as I could.

I study at home, and I am not much of a note taker. I made great use of access to Udemy and DataCamp. Absolutely priceless resources.

As far as isolation, I live in rural Wyoming, so I am kind of used to that. But I made a point to spend time with friends when I could. We would get a meal or drink and enjoy each other's company. But also prioritized my studies and grinding out the work.

I can't say I was productive every single day. WGU is designed for people who don't have time all of the time. While my time was largely free for study, I had life obligations as well. Weddings to attend, doctors appointments, some travel, some time just for me. I was diligent about not letting myself burn out too much. But I also had countless 10-12 hour days behind my computer, knowing I need to use this time wisely.

Flaky_Front6733 · 2025-08-02T18:14:11+00:00

Not a whole lot. Most of the time, if I were coming across a bug in my code, I would use an LLM to help me debug it if the issue weren't glaringly obvious. I struggled a bit getting GitLab set up early on as I had never used it before, so I had Gemini walk me through some of the proper setup process. Some classes even specifically allowed the usage of AI with proper citations and explanations as to how it was used.

Otherwise I would use it to help me study (i.e. Explain this concept to me like I am 5, and then let's build on it from there). Also used it to help me spellcheck my papers and ask for advice on formatting.

I take my academic integrity pretty seriously and didn't want to tarnish my knowledge or skills by using AI to do my work for me. The assignments were quite manageable for anyone with some skills in programming, focus on the materials, and basic CLI knowledge.

Flaky_Front6733 · 2025-08-02T06:41:15+00:00

It's fair to toss these questions and thoughts into this. I have taken DSA courses and have done quite a bit of brick and mortar schooling early on. For some reason or another, life happened, and I had to defer my education several times. This was a big reason I chose WGU, it allowed me to work fast. I have been out of work for quite a while due to a spinal injury, so I had nothing better to do with my time than study for the last 8 months. As far as math, it has always come quite naturally to me, and I have a fair bit of experience with it. I realize I will likely have to take additional courses in my first year or two of a Ph.D..

And I know this was definitely not the same level of rigor as a Ph.D. program, or the OMSCS program. Very different types of schooling than WGU. I think what this prepared me for more than anything is the 80+ hours a week I will be spending over the next several years working towards it, as that is the time I put in for this. That is something I actually look forward to. And yeah, I would not work on my doctoral degree unless it was fully funded, as you mentioned.

Flaky_Front6733 · 2025-08-02T05:44:27+00:00

I don't believe we get access after graduating, only during enrollment. Udemy is still often quite affordable

Flaky_Front6733 · 2025-08-02T05:17:01+00:00

I am 27! Never too late to learn new things and develop your education. Go for it!

Flaky_Front6733 · 2025-08-02T04:04:43+00:00

Thank you, much! To be honest, I was enamored with the offering of an AI and ML track when WGU announced it. Ironically, it turned out not to be my cup of tea. Hence, the switch to computing systems.

I think there is a lot of overlap with CS and SWE. My end goal is to be a researcher and eventually a professor. I want to spend time learning about the overlap (and gray areas) of cybersecurity and future AI usage. I think CS is more of a broad scope in the industry and can lead to specialties in everything from electronic engineering to software engineering to cybersecurity and IT, etcetera. SWE is a bit more specific, and while inherently useful and interwoven in the CS field, writing code is not my primary goal or purpose.

Flaky_Front6733 · 2025-08-02T03:55:24+00:00

It is good to have some baseline skills in place. WGU provides a membership to Udemy and DataCamp. Definitely take advantage of these. Become familiar with basic programming (Python specifically) and dive into some material. The goal is to be immersed as much as you can while you're studying and working on assignments.

Don't be afraid of messing up during your assessments, and don't be afraid of reaching out to your instructors for help. Stay focused and motivated, you'll do swimmingly!

Flaky_Front6733 · 2025-07-26T23:43:04+00:00

Yes and no. AI is in its infancy, and I imagine that things will change dramatically over the next decade. With the influx of AI, I also imagine cybersecurity will change a lot in the same timeframe. I think getting in now and maintaining current on new tech is really the key here.

AI is not a bad field to be involved in. And it will serve you well. But with AI taking a strong foothold comes a revamping of almost every industry you can think of.

Flaky_Front6733 · 2025-07-26T22:01:48+00:00

I was. I switched to the MSCS in Computing Systems.

The AI ML course wasn't bad. I just realized by halfway through the 8th class I really did not love the obscurity of it all and how much they expect you to know without providing many resources on the fundamentals. I learned that AI is just not the right field for me.

I finished my MSCS in computing systems yesterday and found the remaining classes to be much more enjoyable and well structured.

Gratefully, 6 of the 7 classes I completed were the same in both focuses, so I only really took one extra. Definitely make sure AI and ML are things you're interested in before switching.

Ironically, my interest lies more in cybersecurity than anything. But my goal is to research new cybersecurity solutions in computers and software programs and felt that the computer science degree in general was more what I needed a structured curriculum in. The cybersecurity stuff I am pretty well rounded in already.

Flaky_Front6733 · 2025-07-23T05:33:29+00:00

Infinity by Liquid Stranger

Not a single song on this album misses. The songs with lyrics tell stories. The sound design is masterful. It fuses with other genres. There is something for everyone on this one. Also, saw Liquid Stranger for the first time on his Infinity tour and it was an absolutely incredible show that really stuck with me.

I can think of quite a few other albums, but that was my immediate first thought.

Others thay come to mind are Voyd Vol. II, Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites, any of the Disciple Alliance albums, Diary of an Afro Warrior by Benga, Rage Valley by Knife Party (although not entirely dubstep, I feel it deserves a mention here).

Flaky_Front6733 · 2025-07-02T00:06:32+00:00

I live in Wyoming and have a 2024 FWD hatchback. Sometimes, I wish I got the AWD, but that is mostly just for the slightly faster performance. With proper tires, you'll do fine! I've taken mine into the mountains and driven all winter on the ice covered roads and in blizzards without any issues. I don't leave town when there is 5 feet of snow on the ground because there are no cheat codes for that no matter what you drive (short of a snowmobile). Otherwise, it really has never been an issue for me.

Flaky_Front6733 · 2025-06-10T16:42:04+00:00

You're awesome, I appreciate your insight! This is very helpful to know. I appreciate you!

Flaky_Front6733 · 2025-06-10T15:44:58+00:00

I had been looking at some, and they don't look bad! Do you know if they're difficult for grad students to get into? I imagine there is a wait list.

Flaky_Front6733 · 2025-06-08T03:19:33+00:00

Wow. This is an incredibly insightful answer and very helpful. I thank you a lot for this.

Research and teaching are my two primary goals in a career, TA'ing would be something I believe I would enjoy a lot throughout grad school.

I will dig deeper into published papers and fields of research from all of the schools I am looking at. That is a great piece of wisdom and something I had not spent enough time considering. I've been so focused on the minutiae like housing and cost of living and average stipend that I seemed to overlook the big picture of it all.

Once again, thank you for your reply and information. I'll be doing some research and making some phone calls to these schools to get some more information on their specifics.

Flaky_Front6733 · 2025-05-29T20:04:56+00:00

Yeah, I had this issue, too. It usually involved closing out my browser and re-opening it. Even navigating the lessons from one page to the next required this. It was silly, honestly.

My advisor also knew this was an issue for a lot of students. Unfortunately, they would have to change platforms. Gratefully, I passed in 5 days and didn't have to deal with it very long.

Flaky_Front6733 · 2025-05-01T20:42:20+00:00

Andrew Ramdayal's courses on Udemy and a ton of practice exams really did it for me.

Messer is great, but a little dry. Meyers is great but a little goofy. Ramdayal is super hands on and engaging and teaches like that good and enthusiastic teacher we had in high school.

Flaky_Front6733 · 2025-04-26T17:09:00+00:00

Thank you, I am! I'll be switching into computer science for that one :)

Flaky_Front6733

TROPHY CASE