Canva for Desktop

General Information

Technologies must be operated and maintained in accordance with Federal and Department security and privacy policies and guidelines. More information on the proper use of the TRM can be found on the TRM Proper Use Tab/Section.

Website:	Go to site
Description:	Canva is a graphic design and publishing technology. This technology`s interface can be used by anyone from novice to experienced designer. Canva includes customizable templates, 100+ design types, and access to 100+ million premium stock photos, videos, audio, and graphics that can be applied to many social media sites, commercial sites, and traditional media such as print, presentations, flyers and video. The Canva application has products for the web, mobile and a downloadable desktop version for Windows and MacOS. This technology is available in three editions; Canva Free, Canva Pro, and Canva for Teams. This entry covers all three desktop editions. Canva Free is free for individuals with limited access to templates and photos. Canva Pro is a paid subscription for individuals with premium access to templates and photos. Canva Pro is a free subscription for non-profit or government organizations providing health care. Canva for Teams is for organizations. It is a paid subscription for commercial organizations. It is a free subscription for Educational organizations. Canva for Teams has premium access for templates and photos. It is set up for group collaboration with workplace tools and approval workflows. The TRM decisions in this entry only apply to technologies and versions owned, operated, managed, patched, and version-controlled by VA. This includes technologies deployed as software installations on VMs within VA-controlled cloud environments (e.g., VA Enterprise Cloud (VAEC)). Cloud services provided by the VAEC, which are listed in the VAEC Service Catalog, and those controlled and managed by an external Cloud Service Provider (i.e., SaaS) are not in the purview of the TRM. For more information on the use of cloud services and cloud-based products within VA, including VA private clouds, please see the Enterprise Cloud Solutions Office (ECSO) Portal at: https://dvagov.sharepoint.com/sites/OITECSO This entry covers the Desktop Edition of this technology and not any mobile versions. Please note that the implementation of mobile technology applications that operate on Mobile Operating Systems must be reviewed and approved by the Mobile Technology and Endpoint Security Engineering Team: https://dvagov.sharepoint.com/sites/OITMT/SitePages/MTHome.aspx
Technology/Standard Usage Requirements:	Users must ensure their use of this technology/standard is consistent with VA policies and standards, including, but not limited to, VA Handbooks 6102 and 6500; VA Directives 6004, 6513, and 6517; and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards, including Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS). Users must ensure sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. Prior to use of this technology, users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Officer (ISO), Facility Chief Information Officer (CIO), or local Office of Information and Technology (OI&T) representative to ensure that all actions are consistent with current VA policies and procedures prior to implementation.
Section 508 Information:	This technology has not been assessed by the Section 508 Office. The Implementer of this technology has the responsibility to ensure the version deployed is 508-compliant. Section 508 compliance may be reviewed by the Section 508 Office and appropriate remedial action required if necessary. For additional information or assistance regarding Section 508, please contact the Section 508 Office at Section508@va.gov.
Decision:	View Decisions

Decision Source:	TRM Mgmt Group
Decision Process:	One-VA TRM v24.4
Decision Date:	04/01/2024 at 00:55:45 UTC
Aliases:	Canva app
Introduced By:	TRM Request
Vendor Name:	Canva

Vendor Release Information

The Vendor Release table provides the known releases for the TRM Technology, obtained from the vendor (or from the release source).

Version	Release Date	Vendor End of Life Date	Vendor Desupport Date
1.61.x
1.63.x
1.72.x	08/21/2023
1.75.x	10/16/2023
1.84.x	03/22/2024

Current Decision Matrix (03/28/2024)

Users must ensure their use of this technology/standard is consistent with VA policies and standards, including, but not limited to, VA Handbooks 6102 and 6500; VA Directives 6004, 6513, and 6517; and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards, including Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS). Users must ensure sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. Prior to use of this technology, users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Officer (ISO), Facility Chief Information Officer (CIO), or local Office of Information and Technology (OI&T) representative to ensure that all actions are consistent with current VA policies and procedures prior to implementation.

The VA Decision Matrix displays the current and future VA IT position regarding different releases of a TRM entry. These decisions are based upon the best information available as of the most current date. The consumer of this information has the responsibility to consult the organizations responsible for the desktop, testing, and/or production environments to ensure that the target version of the technology will be supported. Any major.minor version that is not listed in the VA Decision Matrix is considered unapproved for use.

Legend:

White	Approved: The technology/standard has been approved for use.
Yellow	Approved w/Constraints: The technology/standard can be used within the specified constraints located below the decision matrix in the footnote[1] and on the General tab.
Gray	Unapproved: This technology or standard can be used only if a POA&M review is conducted and signed by the Authorizing Official Designated Representative (AODR) as designated by the Authorizing Official (AO) or designee and based upon a recommendation from the POA&M Compliance Enforcement, has been granted to the project team or organization that wishes to use the technology.
Orange	Divest: VA has decided to divest itself on the use of the technology/standard. As a result, all projects currently utilizing the technology/standard must plan to eliminate their use of the technology/standard. Additional information on when the entry is projected to become unapproved may be found on the Decision tab for the specific entry.
Black	Prohibited: The technology/standard is not (currently) permitted to be used under any circumstances.
Blue	Planning/Evaluation Constraint:The period of time this technology is currently being evaluated, reviewed, and tested in controlled environments. Use of this technology is strictly controlled and not available for use within the general population. If a customer would like to use this technology, please work with your local or Regional OI&T office and contact the appropriate evaluation office displayed in the notes below the decision matrix. The Local or Regional OI&T office should submit an inquiry to the TRM if they require further assistance or if the evaluating office is not listed in the notes below.

Release/Version Information:

VA decisions for specific versions may include a ‘.x’ wildcard, which denotes a decision that pertains to a range of multiple versions.

For example, a technology approved with a decision for 7.x would cover any version of 7.(Anything) - 7.(Anything). However, a 7.4.x decision would cover any version of 7.4.(Anything), but would not cover any version of 7.5.x or 7.6.x on the TRM.

VA decisions for specific versions may include ‘+’ symbols; which denotes that the decision for the version specified also includes versions greater than what is specified but is not to exceed or affect previous decimal places.

For example, a technology approved with a decision for 12.6.4+ would cover any version that is greater than 12.6.4, but would not exceed the .6 decimal ie: 12.6.401 is ok, 12.6.5 is ok, 12.6.9 is ok, however 12.7.0 or 13.0 is not.

<Past

CY2023

CY2024

CY2025

Future>

Release

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

1.61.x

Approved w/Constraints
[1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Divest
[2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]

Divest
[2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9]

Divest
[2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10]

Divest
[2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11]

Unapproved

1.63.x

Unapproved

Approved w/Constraints
[2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]

Divest
[2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9]

Divest
[2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10]

Divest
[2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11]

Unapproved

1.72.x

Unapproved

Divest
[2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9]

Divest
[2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10]

Divest
[2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11]

Unapproved

1.75.x

Unapproved

Approved w/Constraints
[2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9]

Approved w/Constraints
[2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10]

Divest
[2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11]

Unapproved

1.84.x

Unapproved

Approved w/Constraints
[2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11]

Decision Constraints


[1]	Users must not utilize Opera, as it is at the time of writing, they are unapproved in the TRM. Users must ensure that MongoDB Enterprise Advanced is implemented with VA-approved baselines. (Refer to the ‘Category’ tab under ‘Runtime Dependencies’)

[2]	Users should check with their supervisor, Information System Security Officer (ISSO) or local OIT representative for permission to download and use this software. Downloaded software must always be scanned for viruses prior to installation to prevent adware or malware. Freeware may only be downloaded directly from the primary site that the creator of the software has advertised for public download and user or development community engagement. Users should note, any attempt by the installation process to install any additional, unrelated software is not approved and the user should take the proper steps to decline those installations.

[3]	Technology must remain patched and operated in accordance with Federal and Department security policies and guidelines in order to mitigate known and future security vulnerabilities.

[4]	Due to potential information security risks for cloud-based technologies, users should coordinate closely with their facility ISSO for guidance and assistance on cloud products. If further guidance is needed contact the Enterprise Cloud Solution Office (ECSO), which is the body responsible for new software development in and migration of existing systems to the VA Enterprise Cloud (VAEC) and ensuring organizational information, Personally Identifiable Information (PII), Protected Health Information (PHI), and VA sensitive data are not compromised within the VAEC. For information about Software as a Service (SaaS) products or to submit a SaaS product request with the VA OIT Product Engineering team, please use their online form. (Ref: VA Directive 6004, VA Directive 6517, VA Directive 6513 and VA Directive 6102).

[5]	Veterans Affairs (VA) users must ensure VA sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISSO (Information System Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500.

[6]	Users must not utilize Opera and Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), they are not unapproved in the TRM. Users must ensure that MongoDB Enterprise Advanced is implemented with VA-approved baselines. (Refer to the ‘Category’ tab under ‘Runtime Dependencies’)

[7]	The Federal Information Processing standards (FIPS) 140-2 certification status of this technology was not able to be verified. This technology will require a 3rd party FIPS 140-2 or 140-3 certified solution for any data containing PHI/PII or VA sensitive information, where applicable. More information regarding the Cryptographic Module Validation Program (CMVP) can be found on the NIST website.

[8]	Users must not utilize Opera and Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), they are not unapproved in the TRM. Users must ensure that Firefox, Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and MongoDB Enterprise Advanced are implemented with VA-approved baselines. (Refer to the ‘Category’ tab under ‘Runtime Dependencies’)

[9]	Veterans Affairs (VA) users must ensure VA sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISSO (Information System Security Officer) to ensure compliance with both VA Handbook 6500 and VA Directive 6500.

[10]	Due to potential information security risks for cloud-based technologies, users should coordinate closely with their facility ISSO for guidance and assistance on cloud products. If further guidance is needed contact the Enterprise Cloud Solution Office (ECSO), which is the body responsible for new software development in and migration of existing systems to the VA Enterprise Cloud (VAEC) and ensuring organizational information, Personally Identifiable Information (PII), Protected Health Information (PHI), and VA sensitive data are not compromised within the VAEC. For information about Software as a Service (SaaS) products or to submit a SaaS product request, visit the Product Marketplace. (Ref: VA Directive 6004, VA Directive 6517, VA Directive 6513 and VA Directive 6102).

[11]	In cases where the technology is used for external connections, a full Enterprise Security Change Control Board (ESCCB) review is required in accordance VA Directive 6004 , VA Directive 6517, and VA Directive 6513. The local ISSO (Information System Security Officer) can advise on the ESCCB review process.

Note:

At the time of writing, version 1.84.0 is the most current version released 03/22/2024.

References

The following reference(s) are associated with this entry:
Type	Name	Source	Description
*NOTE: Vendor provided information is subject to the accuracy of the manufacturer.

Technology Components

Note: This list may not be complete. No component, listed or unlisted, may be used outside of the technology in which it is released. The usage decision for a component is found in the Decision and Decision Constraints.
Name	Description
DeepL	This link is for the translator technology that provides the ability for Canva to support many languages.
MongoDB	This link is for Mongo Database (DB) which is a component of Canva.

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Domain Area	Category	Customer Guidance	Category Locked By ELT Date
Collaboration and Electronic Workplace Collaboration Software	Content Management
Collaboration and Electronic Workplace Collaboration Software	Real-Time and Team Collaboration
Collaboration and Electronic Workplace Productivity Software	Desktop Publishing
Collaboration and Electronic Workplace Productivity Software	Graphics Design Software
Collaboration and Electronic Workplace Productivity Software	Multimedia Software

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

macOS - Approved w/Constraints
Windows Client - Approved w/Constraints

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

Microsoft Edge. - (required for some configurations)
MongoDB Enterprise Advanced
Opera (Opera Desktop) - (required for some configurations)
Safari - (required for some configurations)

Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

At the time of writing, no National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) vulnerabilities had been reported and no VA Cyber Security Operations Center (CSOC) bulletins had been issued for the latest versions of this technology.
There is no licensing fee associated with the Canva Free version of this technology.
This technology may improve productivity for specific staff whose responsibilities include graphic design and publication.
At the time of writing, there are a limited number of TRM options providing this functionality. The addition of this technology will provide end users with multiple viable options.
This is a well-documented technology.
There is no licensing fee associated with this technology for Non-Profit, Educational or Government organizations providing healthcare.

Adoption Risks

The potential exists to store Personally Identifiable Information (PII), Protected Health Information (PHI) and/or VA Sensitive data and proper security standards must be followed in these cases.
The technology requires the purchase of licenses from vendor for Canva Pro and Canva Teams for commercial customers, which could potentially lead to vendor lock-in.
Although this vendor utilizes Federal Information Processing (FIPS) 140-2 encryption, there is no indication based on the vendor documentation or the Cryptographic Module Validation Program (CMVP) that this technology is Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2 certified.
The vendor for this technology is based outside the United States.
This technology may utilize external data connections.
This technology can potentially use Opera, an unapproved technology.
Due to the rapid release schedule of this technology, the VA may be unable to update to the most recent patch and may require a deployment model requiring the use of specific versions.
This technology can potentially use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), an unapproved protocol.

Architectural Benefits

This technology supports AES Encryption.
This technology is portable as it runs on multiple TRM-approved operating systems.
This technology is compatible with virtual machines, therefore consistent with the enterprise Server Virtualize First Policy (VAIQ 7266972 08-27-2012).

Architectural Risks

This technology includes cloud-based functionality which has potential information security risks.

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General Information

Vendor Release Information

Current Decision Matrix (03/28/2024)

Decision Constraints

References

Technology Components

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

Technologies/Standards Relationships

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Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

Adoption Risks

Architectural Benefits

Architectural Risks

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VA Technical Reference Model v 24.7

General Information

Vendor Release Information

Current Decision Matrix (03/28/2024)

Decision Constraints

References

Technology Components

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

Adoption Risks

Architectural Benefits

Architectural Risks

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