The University of Hawaiʻi is reminding individuals who may have been impacted by the cybersecurity incident announced February 27 that deadlines are approaching to enroll in 12 months of free credit monitoring and $1 million in identity theft insurance. After these deadlines, enrollment codes will no longer work.

Deadlines

• May 31, 2026: Enrollment deadline for individuals who received Multiethnic Cohort (MEC) study notification letter codes
• June 20, 2026: Enrollment deadline for individuals who received email-based Experian enrollment codes
• May 31, 2026: Closure of the call center to assist all potentially affected individuals

Kroll Call Center: (844) 443-0842

Hours: Monday to Friday, 3:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Hawaiʻi Standard Time

Cybersecurity incident

The cybersecurity incident involved historical driver鈥檚 license and voter registration records (including social security numbers) used decades ago to recruit participants for epidemiological research studies. No information held by the 糖心视频 Cancer Center鈥檚 clinical trials operations, patient care or other divisions of the center was impacted.

Potentially impacted individuals

The personal information affected by the incident was located in a subset of research files stored on certain servers that support the 糖心视频 Cancer Center鈥檚 epidemiology research operations, including:

1. Two files containing names and date-of-births in combination with SSNs: the first, containing Driver鈥檚 License (DL) numbers, was collected in the year 2000 from the State Department of Transportation; the second, containing voter registration information, was collected in the year 1998 from the City & County of Honolulu. At that time, DL numbers in Hawaiʻi were typically based on SSNs, and City and County of Honolulu voter registration information also often contained SSNs.
2. Files for study participants in the long-running Multiethnic Cohort (MEC) Study (recruitment for participants in Hawaiʻi and Los Angeles, California from 1993 to 1996) and three other epidemiological studies of diet and cancer focusing on colorectal adenomas (recruitment for participants 1995–2007) and colon cancer (recruitment for participants 1994–2005), which also had SSNs and/or DL numbers in combination with names and date-of-births. They may also have contained questionnaires and other study information on participant health, as well as information pulled from national and state public health registries.
3. Two files that contain SSNs in combination with names collected from national and state public health registries as part of epidemiology research and study recruitment efforts. One file was closed to new names in 1999, and the other in the mid-2000s. The impacted files may also have contained research registry information about individuals鈥� health.

Letters were only mailed to MEC study participants. Other potentially affected individuals were sent email notices where valid email addresses were available. For the remaining individuals, notification was made through notices sent to major statewide media on February 27, 2026, and on the 糖心视频 Cancer Center website.

If you believe you may have been impacted and did not receive an email or a letter, please call the Kroll Call Center: (844) 443-0842, Monday to Friday, 3:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Hawaiʻi Standard Time.

Individuals should also check the Spam folders in all of their email accounts. Notification emails were sent from notice@krollnotifications.com with the subject line “NOTICE OF DATA INCIDENT.” Official notification emails were sent between March 16, 2026 and March 20, 2026. Emails received outside of this date range should be considered phishing emails.

Individuals may also visit the to access support services and additional information.

Nearly 100 people gathered in person and online on April 18 at the for the free workshop, “How Clinical Trials Save Lives,” learning how these studies work and how patients may benefit from new cancer treatments.

The event also marked the one-year anniversary of the Susan C. Hirano Cancer CARE Community, a patient-empowerment program that brings together patients, survivors, caregivers, and health care providers for education and support.

Attendees learned about the 贬辞鈥�ō濒补 Early Phase Clinical Research Center, located at the 糖心视频 Cancer Center in Kakaʻako. The new facility will allow Hawaiʻi patients to access early phase, or Phase I, clinical trials locally for the first time, without traveling to the U.S. continent.

Panel discussions and presentations featured clinicians, researchers, survivors and caregivers sharing medical information and personal experiences with clinical trials.

Clinical trials expand access to new hope for patients

“Clinical trials are where research can turn into real hope for patients,” said Naoto T. Ueno, director of the 糖心视频 Cancer Center. “Clinical trials give patients access to promising new therapies that are not yet widely available鈥攕ometimes offering options when standard treatments are no longer effective.”

Panelist Kimberly Omine, who is undergoing a clinical trial for blood cancer, said the experience has been life-changing. “If I didn鈥檛 go through clinical trials, I wouldn鈥檛 be here.”

糖心视频 Cancer Center officials noted that clinical trials provide closely monitored care and may offer access to treatments that improve outcomes while advancing future cancer research. The center administers nearly 90% of all cancer clinical trials in Hawaiʻi, in partnership with member organizations of the Hawaiʻi Cancer Consortium.

The workshop was produced by the , which continues to expand programming connecting the cancer community across Hawaiʻi.

The University of Hawaiʻi accounted for more than $61.2 million—92% of all federal biomedical research funding awarded in the state from the (NIH)—in fiscal year 2025.

Hawaiʻi received $66.7 million overall in NIH funding, according to a new report from . The investment supported 902 jobs and generated $188.7 million in economic activity statewide.

NIH funding supports a wide range of research across 糖心视频, from improving disease detection and treatment to addressing health disparities and strengthening public health systems that serve island communities, reinforcing the university鈥檚 role in advancing health research and innovation in Hawaiʻi.

had the largest share, with 72 awards totaling $60.7 million, while the received two awards totaling $468,391. While overall funding remained strong, NIH鈥檚 shift to multi-year funding—which obligates the full grant value upfront—resulted in 5,564 fewer grants being funded in FY2025 compared to FY2024.

“Even in a highly competitive and uncertain federal funding environment, University of Hawaiʻi researchers continue to deliver work that improves lives here at home and beyond,” said Chad Walton, 糖心视频 interim vice president for research and innovation. “These investments fuel discoveries, support high-quality jobs and strengthen our local economy. Every dollar makes a difference for our communities.”

Research highlights

Recent awards reflect the diversity of NIH-funded research at 糖心视频:

• $322,891 from the National Cancer Institute supports Shugeng Zhao Cao, professor at the at 糖心视频 Hilo. The project, Discovery of novel natural TEAD inhibitors for the chemoprevention of liver tumors, explores natural compounds from Hawaiian microorganisms to develop the first preventive therapy for liver cancer.



• $2,039,744 from the National Human Genome Research Institute supports Lang Wu, associate professor at the at the 糖心视频 Cancer Center. The research advances genomic tools and approaches to better understand complex diseases and support precision health applications. (Related 糖心视频 News story)
• $459,287 from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases supports Youping Deng, professor at the . The project, Hawaii Advanced Training in Artificial Intelligence for Precision Nutrition Science Research, strengthens training in the use of artificial intelligence for nutrition and metabolic health research. (Related 糖心视频 News story)

A University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center study aimed at understanding mesothelioma (a rare, aggressive cancer) in people with inherited BAP1 gene mutations has received a $1-million, five-year All-Star Translational Award from the . The project is led by researchers Michele Carbone and Haining Yang, who previously identified the condition they named “BAP1 Cancer Syndrome.” Individuals born with these mutations may develop multiple cancer types over their lifetime, most commonly mesothelioma.

Related 糖心视频 News story: 糖心视频 Cancer Center identifies treatable form of mesothelioma

Their earlier research, which contributed to a National Cancer Institute surgical clinical trial studying families with the BAP1 mutation over more than 20 years, suggests that tumors arising in some mutation carriers are less invasive and less likely to spread into nearby tissues and organs.

The new project will build on these findings to examine why some BAP1-mutant patients survive longer and identify the biological mechanisms that limit tumor invasion and spread.

“Understanding why some tumors are less invasive opens new possibilities for identifying mechanisms that could guide new therapeutic strategies for mesothelioma,” Carbone said.

Cancer patients, survivors, caregivers and community members are invited to the free workshop “How Clinical Trials Save Lives,” hosted by the 鈥檚 Susan C. Hirano Cancer CARE Community. The event will be held on Saturday, April 18, 9鈥�11 a.m. at the Sullivan Conference Center.

Attendees will learn how trials work, hear from experts and patient panelists, and explore how participation shapes future care. The event will follow with light refreshments and a preview of the new 贬辞ʻ艒濒补 Early Phase Clinical Research Center, from 11 a.m. to noon.

Participants can attend in-person and via Zoom. .

‘Where research turns into real hope’

“Clinical trials are where research turns into real hope,” said Naoto T. Ueno, director of the 糖心视频 Cancer Center and a two-time cancer survivor. “They give patients access to promising therapies and new possibilities.”

Clinical trials allow patients to receive new treatments or new combinations of existing therapies, often before they are widely available, while being closely monitored by research teams.

Related 糖心视频 News story: 糖心视频 cancer support network champions patient advocacy

The 糖心视频 Cancer Center administers nearly 90% of cancer clinical trials in Hawaiʻi. Its new 贬辞ʻ艒濒补 facility will expand access to early-phase trials locally.

The workshop also marks the one-year anniversary of the Cancer CARE Community and honors founder Susan Hirano, whose vision continues to support and empower those affected by cancer. Since launching, the Cancer CARE Community has connected hundreds statewide, continuing Hirano鈥檚 legacy of hope and support.

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The , in partnership with Google Cloud, will host a landmark full-day workshop on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, titled, “Accelerating Research in the Age of AI: A Synergistic Workshop with Google.” The event will take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Sullivan Conference Center, 糖心视频 Cancer Center, 701 Ilalo Street, Honolulu.

Designed to reflect the 糖心视频‘s unique geographic and cultural context, the workshop will highlight how academic-industry partnerships can strengthen research capacity by expanding access to advanced AI tools, high-performance computing and specialized technical expertise. The program is open to 糖心视频 faculty, investigators, trainees and students across biomedical, population, ocean, earth and computational sciences.

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“This workshop represents an exciting opportunity for 糖心视频 researchers to engage directly with Google’s leading AI scientists and tools,” said John Shepherd, chief scientific officer at the 糖心视频 Cancer Center, who is organizing the workshop. “We are committed to building the infrastructure and partnerships that will propel our research into the next generation of discovery.”

Workshop highlights

The agenda features a lineup of renowned speakers and interactive sessions, including:

• Keynote: “AI Co-Scientist System and Gemini-Based Research Tools,” presented by Charlie Elliot, lead of rapid innovation, Google Public Sector;
• Flash Talks: Great Challenges Across Disciplines—featuring Peter Sadowski (associate professor, Department of Information and Computer Sciences, 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补), István Szapudi (theoretical cosmologist, Institute for Astronomy, 糖心视频), and Justin Stopa (associate professor, Department of Ocean and Resources Engineering, 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补);
• Deep Dive Sessions covering your “Modern Research Toolkit” (Francisco Gonzalez, application modernization specialist architect, Google Public Sector) and “Federated Learning for Global Collaboration” (Tom Denton, research scientist, Google DeepMind/Google Research);
• Student Poster Competition, with Google-sponsored awards for the best presentations, judged during the Google-sponsored lunch break;
• Co-Designing Breakouts in which participants brainstorm high-impact solutions in three focus areas: AI for hypothesis generation, Google’s cloud tools and federated learning.

The workshop will conclude with a panel discussion and vision synthesis identifying a roadmap for future 糖心视频-Google collaboration, along with the announcement of poster competition award winners.

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The genesis of the Susan C. Hirano Cancer CARE Community began not in Kaka驶ako, but during a visit to a breast cancer specialist in Texas. There, Susan and Peter Hirano first heard about Naoto Ueno, who would soon become director of the University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center.

After Ueno relocated to Hawaiʻi, the Hiranos connected with him, and Susan shared her vision: a supportive space where cancer patients, families and caregivers could access information, education and emotional support.

Read more 糖心视频 Giving Day stories

Diagnosed with stage-four metastatic breast cancer in October 2021, Susan immersed herself in research, exploring clinical trials and consulting with specialists at leading institutions.

“She had an intense and fierce determination to live,” Peter said. “So, in addition to researching the science of the disease, she explored other ways to supplement her medical treatments, from reiki massages and naturopathic treatments to acupuncture, meditation and diet.”

Empowering patients, building community

Susan brought that same determination to her medical appointments, encouraging patients to actively participate in their care. That philosophy became the foundation of the Cancer CARE Community—CARE representing Community, Awareness, Research and Emotional Well-Being.

Her vision became reality on April 5, 2025, when the 糖心视频 Cancer Center launched the program.

“I remember that she wasn’t feeling very well that morning,” Peter recalled. “But she told me, ‘Just get me there, and the people will lift me up.’”

During the inaugural workshop, Susan spoke for 25 minutes, emphasizing the importance of self-advocacy and asking questions. The event culminated in an emotional surprise: the program was officially named in her honor.

“She was blown away,” Peter said. “She had no idea that the team was going to name the program the ‘Susan C. Hirano Cancer CARE Community.’ I am so proud of the legacy she has built.”

Less than two weeks later, on April 18, 2025, Susan passed away peacefully at home.

Sustaining the legacy on Giving Day

Today, the program continues her legacy, offering quarterly workshops that provide holistic support for patients, survivors and caregivers. More than 550 people have attended events so far, with many returning regularly.

“The event was ‘empowering’ to learn about the true value of empowerment––how to find peace with our situation, our thoughts and our choice,” commented one attendee in an evaluation survey.

More 糖心视频 News stories about Susan C. Hirano and her legacy

Community support is vital to help the CARE Community reach more cancer patients, families and caregivers across Hawaiʻi.

As the community comes together for 糖心视频 Giving Day, Peter wants potential donors to know that their contributions aren鈥檛 just abstract numbers.

Every gift, no matter the size, helps ensure the Susan C. Hirano Cancer CARE Community can continue providing trusted resources, connection and support for those facing cancer across Hawaiʻi—just as Susan envisioned.

about the Cancer CARE Community, make a gift and explore other Giving Day opportunities.

The University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center鈥檚 Epidemiology Division was the victim of a cyberattack that possibly exposed records containing Social Security numbers (SSNs) and driver鈥檚 license (DL) numbers, mostly from Hawaiʻi DL records collected in 2000 from the State Department of Transportation (when identifiers were usually SSNs) and City and County of Honolulu voter registration records collected in 1998 (also when identifiers were usually SSNs).

The Hawaiʻi DL and Honolulu voter registration records were primarily used to recruit research study participants, principally for the Multiethnic Cohort (MEC) Study. The MEC Study was established in 1993 and recruited more than 215,000 men and women, aged 45 to 75 years, between 1993 and 1996 from five main ethnic/racial groups who were residents of Hawaiʻi and Los Angeles, California. Some of the exposed files also included research data with health-related information on study participants and certain other individuals.

The MEC Study participants potentially impacted a total 87,493 individuals. Additional individuals whose personal information may have been included in the historical driver鈥檚 license and voter registration records with SSN identifiers number approximately 1.15 million.

There was no impact to information held by the 糖心视频 Cancer Center鈥檚 Clinical Trials operations, patient care, or any other divisions of the 糖心视频 Cancer Center. There was no impact to 糖心视频 student records.

“The 糖心视频 Cancer Center deeply regrets that this incident occurred and that so many individuals have been impacted,” said Naoto T. Ueno, director of the 糖心视频 Cancer Center. “We take this matter extremely seriously and are committed to transparency, accountability and strengthening protections for the research data entrusted to us.”

What happened and data involved

During the cyberattack, an unauthorized third party encrypted and potentially exfiltrated data containing personal information. The university notified law enforcement and worked with third-party cybersecurity experts to obtain a decryption tool, and secure an affirmation that any information obtained was destroyed. To date, there is no evidence that any of the information has been published, shared or misused.

The personal information affected by the incident was located in a subset of research files stored on certain servers that support the 糖心视频 Cancer Center鈥檚 epidemiology research operations, including:

1. Two files containing names and date-of-births in combination with SSNs: the first, containing DL numbers, was collected in the year 2000 from the State Department of Transportation; the second, containing voter registration information, was collected in the year 1998 from the City & County of Honolulu. At that time, DL numbers in Hawaiʻi were typically based on SSNs, and City and County of Honolulu voter registration information also often contained SSNs.
2. Files for study participants in the long-running Multiethnic Cohort (MEC) Study (recruitment for participants in Hawaiʻi and Los Angeles, California from 1993 to 1996) and three other epidemiological studies of diet and cancer focusing on colorectal adenomas (recruitment for participants 1995–2007) and colon cancer (recruitment for participants 1994–2005), which also had SSNs and/or DL numbers in combination with names and date-of-births. They may also have contained questionnaires and other study information on participant health, as well as information pulled from national and state public health registries.
3. Two files that contain SSNs in combination with names collected from national and state public health registries as part of epidemiology research and study recruitment efforts. One file was closed to new names in 1999, and the other in the mid-2000s. The impacted files may also have contained research registry information about individuals鈥� health.

Investigations are still ongoing to assess other sensitive information that may have been impacted. 糖心视频 is confident that any other personal information (SSNs or drivers鈥� license numbers in combination with names) found will be nominal and, where possible, those individuals will
receive separate notice.

Investigations are still ongoing to assess other sensitive information that may have been impacted.

Assistance for potentially affected individuals

Notification letters offering credit monitoring and identity protection services were mailed on February 23 to 87,493 MEC Study participants, the first group of potentially affected individuals identified. The university is now providing notice to all others potentially impacted via email (approximately 900,000 email addresses were located, but only 757,588 have been validated) and this public announcement and a .

(UPDATE: March 20 If you believe you may have been impacted and did not receive an email, please check the Spam folder in all of your email accounts. The email should be from Kroll (notice@krollnotifications.com) with the subject line “NOTICE OF DATA INCIDENT.”)

To assist those who may have been impacted, 糖心视频 has established dedicated call centers where individuals can:

• Verify whether their information may have been involved
• Enroll in 12 months of free credit monitoring and $1 million in identity theft insurance

Call centers have been established for both groups and will open Monday, March 2:

• Call Center: (844) 443-0842
• Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Central Time (excluding holidays)
  • March 2–6, 2026, 4:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Hawaiʻi Standard Time
  • Starting March 9 (due to daylight savings time), 3:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Hawaiʻi Standard Time

For additional details and enrollment information, the .

Official updates will be posted at the , , and . Please disregard any other websites, social media or messages claiming to represent 糖心视频 that request personal information.

Security improvements and investigations

The 糖心视频 Cancer Center has implemented extensive cybersecurity and governance enhancements including: redesigning and hardening network, extending the deployment of modern endpoint protection with 24/7 monitoring, upgrading hardware, migrating sensitive research servers into the 糖心视频 Information Technology Services data center, implementing stricter access controls for sensitive data and enforcing cybersecurity training for Cancer Center staff. In addition, internal reviews are ongoing and independent third parties have been engaged to investigate the cyberattack and assess and validate the security controls for the entire 糖心视频 Cancer Center.

To increase information security oversight and awareness across the entire system,
糖心视频 has taken the following actions:

• Created a new Information Security Governance Council for Research responsible to coordinate research鈥憆elated cybersecurity.
• Established a new Information Security Task Force responsible for updating policies, strengthening cyber roles and responsibilities, and recommending enterprise鈥憀evel controls and investments.

“This cyberattack requires a comprehensive, systemwide response. I have initiated a full review of information technology systems across all 10 campuses to ensure we are strengthening protections wherever needed,” said 糖心视频 President Wendy Hensel. “We will take a holistic approach, identify areas requiring additional investment, and move forward with those improvements. Safeguarding the data entrusted to us is essential to our mission and our responsibility to the people of Hawaiʻi.”

The University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补 is part of a new $3.5 million multi-state project to improve cervical cancer screening and follow-up at primary care clinics in Hawaiʻi, Florida and Massachusetts. The Hawaiʻi portion, led by Holly Fontenot, associate dean for research and professor at the and faculty member of the , is supported by a major five–year, R01 award from the National Institutes of Health.

The project, Development of Systems and Education for Cervical Cancer Prevention (DOSE–CC), will adapt, validate and test interventions designed to boost cervical cancer prevention and follow-up care across diverse populations.

Fontenot brings experience from her prior work in women鈥檚 health and HPV-associated cancer prevention, and is one of four multiple principal investigators collaborating with Boston Medical Center, Tufts University and the Moffitt Cancer Center. The Hawaiʻi research team also includes Komal Soin and Patty Tran from the .

“This award reflects the strength of our ongoing research partnerships and the importance of multidisciplinary teams working together to develop effective, sustainable and impactful multi-level interventions that help to transform the current paradigm in cancer screening and follow-up,” Fontenot said.

The project builds on previous studies, including Cervical Cancer: Provider Response and Options of Guidelines Related to Screening Strategies (CC PROGRESS), funded by the American Cancer Society, and DOSE–HPV, which successfully increased HPV vaccination rates.

By combining clinical research with community engagement, the project seeks to develop sustainable, effective interventions that can be scaled nationally — including across the U.S. Work on DOSE–CC is already underway and is expected to be completed by 2030.

Hawaiʻi Gov. Josh Green emphasized that cancer research and medical science are not only matters of public health, but also essential to national and global security, during a roundtable discussion at the ’s 17th Annual on January 23.

The three-day international symposium, held January 21–23, at the 糖心视频 Cancer Center in Kakaʻako, brought together leading researchers and clinicians from around the world to share cutting-edge discoveries in cancer genetics and environmental carcinogenesis — the interaction between genetic and environmental factors that influence cancer risk and treatment outcomes.

Cuts, costs, commitment

Speaking before nearly 100 attendees including international and U.S. cancer researchers, 糖心视频 faculty, students and community members, Green addressed concerns about the future of medical research amid rising costs and federal funding cuts. The discussion was moderated by Michele Carbone, co-founder of the Weinman Symposium and director of thoracic oncology at the 糖心视频 Cancer Center.

Cancer does not know a red state or a blue state.
—Gov. Josh Green

“The challenges are many, but there鈥檚 no question that states can help,” said Green. He pointed to a plan to provide an additional $7.5 million to the 糖心视频 Cancer Center to help sustain research momentum during a difficult fiscal period.

Green warned that reductions in federal research funding threaten the nation鈥檚 ability to respond to future health crises and stressed that science should transcend politics.

“Cancer does not know a red state or a blue state,” he said. “It doesn鈥檛 know ideology. This is something we should commit ourselves to for humanity.”

He also tied biomedical research directly to global security, citing emerging technologies such as RNA-based research and vaccines. “If we don鈥檛 fund important research and someone else does—and they control that scientific discipline—we鈥檙e not just at a disadvantage during outbreaks,” Green said. “It鈥檚 unsafe to have monolithic control of major technologies.”

糖心视频 Cancer Center Director Naoto Ueno expressed appreciation for the governor鈥檚 support. “His vision, making sure that there is long-term cancer research, really makes a big difference,” Ueno said. “There are 70,000 people in Hawaiʻi with cancer. The only way to cure cancer for future generations is to advance research.”

Green also presented the 2026 Weinman Award to Antoni Ribas of UCLA, a leader in cancer immunotherapy research.

Read more at the .