The Ministry of Education and Research is introducing additional security measures from Thursday after critical software vulnerabilities were identified. The measures are meant to protect the Moodle learning platform and the data processed on it.
Moodle will be temporarily shut down from Thursday until the necessary security updates have been installed and their effectiveness verified. The ministry said ensuring the security of the platform and the data it holds is its top priority.
"The temporary shutdown of Moodle is a preventive measure aimed at avoiding potential data leaks, damage to the learning platform and resulting prolonged disruptions," the Ministry of Education and Research added.
The ministry said it understands the shutdown may inconvenience users and is working with technical partners to apply the updates as quickly as possible. Normal operations will resume once the updates are installed and verified, and a separate announcement will say when Moodle reopens.
On Wednesday, the National Archives said several of its online services had been temporarily shut down or limited to users with Estonian IP addresses as a precaution. "Critical security vulnerabilities have been discovered in the widely used PHP web software. We are installing security patches and will restore services as soon as possible."
Moodle is an open-source learning management system for customizable online classrooms, where educators organise course content, host interactive assignments, run tests and hold discussions. In Estonia it is a core e-learning platform used across vocational schools, general education institutions and universities including the University of Tartu and TalTech.
Source: Err
Moodle shutdown Estonia · education ministry security · PHP vulnerabilities · National Archives services · Estonian e-learning · TalTech University of Tartu