If any students or teachers logged on to social media or opened their email inbox using certain computers at Carleton University in Canada 's capital city of Ottawa recently , their every keystroke w as likely recorded Attack.Databreach by an unknown hacker . According to an emailed statement , the university discovered USB sticks loaded with what 's known as `` keylogger '' software on computers in six classrooms during a routine inspection . Keylogger software i ntercepts Attack.Databreach the commands a keyboard sends to your computer , l ogging Attack.Databreach the keystrokes that make up your passwords and messages . A university spokesperson would n't clarify when the discovery was made . According to the university , the USB keyloggers in question would have required someone to physically pick them up in order to access any data they recorded , and there 's no evidence that someone ever came by . `` These computers are used solely for instructional purposes in classrooms and do not store any university , personal or confidential information , '' an emailed statement from Carleton University stated . `` We have no evidence that any information w as retrieved Attack.Databreach from these devices or that any university data w ere compromised. Attack.Databreach `` Even so , it 's a concerning state of affairs for students and teachers , who may use instructional computers for personal correspondence or professional obligations at the school . Carleton was the victim of a ransomware attack Attack.Ransom in November of last year , which locked down dozens of computers that would only unlock if the university p aid a ransom Attack.Ransom in bitcoin . `` I do n't think at this point there 's been any formal link between these two events , '' said Steven Reid , a university spokesperson , in an interview . `` An investigation is ongoing into the keylogger incident , but nothing specific related to anything in the past . '' Even though there 's no evidence that the hacker got a chance to come collect the goods , it 's probably a great idea for any Carleton students to change their passwords right about now