WRAL Investigates who is behind the Canvas breach that put student and teachers' data at risk

269 MILLION DOLLARS.

>> NEW TONIGHT, ACCESS TO

CANVAS IS NOW RESTORED FOR WAKE

COUNTY STUDENTS AND STAFF.

THIS COMES AS WE LEARN MORE

ABOUT THE HACKERS BEHIND THE

DATA BREACH THAT PUT MILLIONS

OF TEACHERS AND CHILDREN AT

RISK. TONIGHT, WRAL

INVESTIGATES DESTINY. PATTERSON

ASKS A CYBER SECURITY EXPERT

ABOUT WHETHER THESE HACKERS ARE

WHO THEY SAY THEY ARE.

>> OR LEAK HACKERS IMPOSE IT

MAY 12 DEADLINE LOOMS AFTER

THEY GAINED ACCESS TO CANVAS

TWICE IN THE LAST 2 WEEKS.

CYBERSECURITY INVESTIGATOR

ALLISON NIXON TELLS US HACKERS

OFTEN USE PRESSURE TACTICS TO

GET VICTIMS TO HAND OVER MONEY

LIKE FLOODING THEIR E-MAIL,

THREATENING THEIR EXECUTIVES

AND THEIR FAMILIES. A

SPOKESPERSON FOR CAMPUSES,

PARENT COMPANY DID NOT ANSWER

MY QUESTION. WHEN I ASKED IF IT

PAID ANY RANSOM. DEMAND SAY

LAW PROHIBITS STATE AGENCIES

AND PUBLIC SCHOOLS FROM PAYING

RANSOMS OR COMMUNICATING WITH

BAD ACTORS DURING A

CYBERSECURITY INCIDENT. THE

HACKERS CLAIM TO BE PART OF

SHINY HUNTERS KNOWN FOR

BREACHING MAJOR COMPANIES,

INCLUDING MICROSOFT, TNT, AND

EVEN PIZZA HUT.

>> HOWEVER, A NIXON CAUTIONS

THAT IN THESE HACKING

SCENARIOS, IT'S COMMON FOR

SOMEONE TO TAKE CREDIT FOR AN

ATTACK UNDER ANOTHER HACKERS.

NAME THE GOAL IS TO CAPITALIZE

ON ONE GROUP'S NOTORIETY.

>> THEY WANT TO BE FAMOUS.

THEY WANT TO BE REMEMBERED.

THAT LEADS TO 2 MAJOR QUESTIONS

WHEN IT COMES TO THE CANVAS

BREACH. ARE THESE HACKERS

REALLY WHO THEY SAY THEY ARE

AND WHAT DATA DO THEY ACTUALLY

HAVE ACCESS TO ITS NOT CLEAR

THAT WHAT THEY'RE SAYING IS

TRUTHFUL AS LAW ENFORCEMENT

WORKS TO DETERMINE THE TRUE

SCOPE OF THE BREACH. NIXON SAYS

VICTIMS SHOULD NOT PAY THE

HACKERS. ALL OF THIS IS NOT

JUST 6 TORSION, BUT IT'S ALSO

A SCAM. THEY WANT TO THEY CAN

TO BELIEVE THAT THESE PEOPLE

ARE NOT. IT'S GOING TO

REPEATEDLY USED THE DATA TO GET

MORE MONEY BUT NIXON DOESN'T

NECESSARILY BELIEVE THAT.

AND SHE SAYS VICTIMS SHOULDN'T