The Moodle learning platform will be temporarily shut down starting Thursday until the necessary security updates have been installed and their effectiveness verified.

The ministry emphasized that ensuring the security of the learning platform and the data it contains 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 that the temporary shutdown may cause inconvenience to users and is working with technical partners to implement the necessary security updates as quickly as possible.

Normal operations will resume once the necessary security updates have been installed and their effectiveness verified. A separate announcement will be made when Moodle reopens.

On Wednesday, the National Archives also announced that several of its online services had been temporarily shut down or restricted to users with Estonian IP addresses as a precautionary measure.

"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 (LMS) designed to create customizable online classrooms where educators can organize course content, host interactive assignments, run tests, and facilitate discussions. In Estonia's digital education ecosystem, Moodle serves as a core e-learning platform used extensively across vocational schools, general education institutions, and major universities such as the University of Tartu and TalTech.

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