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 东精影业 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 东精影业 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 东精影业 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.

Garret Yoshimi, vice president for information technology and chief information officer at the University of Hawaiʻi System, will retire effective June 1, 2026, following more than a decade in the role and a long career in information technology serving Hawaiʻi. His final day in the office will be May 22.

Yoshimi returned to 东精影业 in January 2015 and has played a central role in guiding the university鈥檚 information technology strategy across its 10 campuses. He previously served as telecommunications manager and director of technology infrastructure for the university system.

“Garret is not only exceptionally knowledgeable and widely respected in his field, but also one of the kindest and most thoughtful colleagues you could ever hope to work with, and he will be greatly missed across the University of Hawaiʻi,” said 东精影业 President Wendy Hensel in a message to university leadership. “Please join me in thanking Garret for his many contributions to 东精影业 and in wishing him all the best in his retirement.”

“It has been my privilege to work with such a dedicated team, including going beyond the call for multiple high-profile efforts,” Yoshimi said in a message to 东精影业 ITS employees. “I am proud of the work we have accomplished together, that made a material difference for our 东精影业 community, and our global community of institutional peers and partners.”

Leading systemwide innovation and connectivity

During his leadership, Yoshimi oversaw systemwide efforts to modernize information technology services, strengthen cybersecurity protections and expand digital tools supporting teaching, learning and operations across the university.

Among his recent initiatives, Yoshimi helped lead efforts to position Hawaiʻi as a global connectivity hub. In 2025, the University of Hawaiʻi System advanced a partnership with Google on a proposed trans-Pacific subsea fiber optic system, including a cable landing station at 东精影业 West Oʻahu aimed at expanding international connectivity and improving network resilience across Hawaiʻi and the Pacific region.

He also supported a collaboration with Google Public Sector to develop artificial intelligence tools to support student career pathways, connecting academic programs with workforce opportunities in Hawaiʻi.

Yoshimi and colleagues have been recognized for their longstanding contributions to global research and education networking. In 2026, he was part of a 东精影业 team honored with the CENIC Innovations in Networking Award for Network Partner, recognizing more than 35 years of work connecting Hawaiʻi and the Pacific to global research networks.

He received the ACUTA Bill D. Morris Award for individual leadership from the Association for College and University Technology Advancement and remains active in national higher education IT organizations, including EDUCAUSE and Internet2.

A Honolulu native, Yoshimi has nearly five decades of experience in information technology leadership across higher education, government and the private sector. He was appointed vice president for information technology and chief information officer in 2015, succeeding David Lassner, who went on to serve as 东精影业 president. In addition to his time at the 东精影业, Yoshimi鈥檚 career includes leadership roles with the Hawaiʻi State Judiciary—where he served as its first chief information officer—the East-West Center and DTRIC Insurance.

Yoshimi earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in electrical engineering from Purdue University and a graduate certificate in telecommunications and information resource management from the 东精影业 惭腻苍辞补.

During the transition, Brad Christ, associate vice president and deputy chief information officer, will serve as interim vice president for information technology and chief information officer.

University of Hawaiʻi–West Oʻahu placed 9th nationally after students participated in the National Cyber League (NCL) biannual cybersecurity skills competition, in individual and team-based events last fall. They competed in individual and team-based events, with more than 8,520 students from 490 colleges and universities.

The —for the fall 2025 competition season—were created by in partnership with .

Hands-on experience

“Participation in the National Cyber League gives 东精影业 West Oʻahu students the opportunity to validate their skills against peers across the country in a real-world, hands-on cybersecurity environment,” said the students鈥� coach Anthony Eich, a cyber competitions and cybersecurity instructor, and an alumnus. “Competitions like NCL require not only technical ability, but discipline, persistence and critical thinking under pressure.”

The 东精影业 West Oʻahu National Cyber League fall 2025 team members were Sean Belisle, Nyla Boneza, Jomer Calip, Steven Dinwiddie, Christopher Ebel, Blix Hazen, Joel Kawamae, Chloe Kurashima, Maria Isabel Mendez, Kiana Merez, Branden Ramos, Jamal Timbobolan, John Wright and Jiaye Zhou.

Growing professionally, personally

Dinwiddie, who is double majoring in cybersecurity with a concentration in cyber operations and applied science with a concentration in information security and assurance, reflected on his NCL experience.

“While NCL is undoubtedly challenging, the competition pushed me to apply classroom knowledge to problems that felt like the real thing, solidifying what I鈥檇 learned while exposing personal weaknesses, a critical component of growing both professionally and personally,” Dinwiddie said.

He added, “What I enjoyed most was being forced to think creatively, sometimes pursuing paths that seemed like dead ends only to find they led to a breakthrough. That moment of ‘there鈥檚 no way this is going to work’ turning into “wow, that actually did work!’ never gets old.”

For more visit .

—By Zenaida Serrano Arvman

The University of Hawaiʻi Maui College is hosting the second of three free online cybersecurity clinics for Hawaiʻi‘s sole proprietors and small business owners. “Security using GenAI” is the topic for this session, taking place on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, from 12 to 1 p.m. HST, via Zoom.

Moderated by Debasis Bhattacharya (professor and program coordinator of the 东精影业 Maui College Applied Business and Information Technology Program), the clinic will help participants transform Generative AI from a buzzword into a powerful security ally.

This session will focus on the security and privacy issues associated with AI, providing a clear roadmap for integrating AI tools ethically and effectively to stay one step ahead of sophisticated cyber threats.

Participants will learn practical use cases, including

• How generative AI identifies anomalies and patterns that traditional rule-based systems miss.
• Basics of prompt engineering for small businesses.
• Navigating data privacy concerns and “shadow AI” while maximizing defensive capabilities.
• Automating threat detection and accelerating incident response times.

Presenters

Presenters include Jodi Ito, 东精影业 chief information security officer and David Stevens, assistant professor at Kapiʻolani Community College, a University of Hawaiʻi campus.

“Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT are popular because they have learned just about everything there is to know on the Internet, and they respond to chat prompts in a human-friendly way. The risks here are loss of data privacy, training bias and hallucinations from the AI tool itself. This webinar will help small businesses use GenAI tools reliably and effectively to secure their business,” said Bhattacharya.

These clinics are part of the , funded by a $1-million grant and wraparound support from Google’s Cybersecurity Clinics Fund.

The 59th annual (HICSS), hosted by the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa , convened global thought leaders at the Hyatt Regency Resort & Spa Maui, January 5–9. It brought together more than 1,300 scholars, industry experts and policymakers from more than 42 countries.

Widely recognized as one of the world鈥檚 premier forums on digital and socio-technical systems, HICSS once again served as a showcase for the future of information technology and systems science.

This year鈥檚 conference received 1,559 research paper submissions, of which 727 were accepted following a rigorous peer-review process. Authored by more than 2,150 researchers, the accepted papers spanned artificial intelligence and data analytics to digital government, cybersecurity, healthcare system, and the future of work.

“As conference chair, I am continually impressed by the depth, rigor and relevance of the work presented at HICSS,” said Tung Bui, professor of information technology management and the Matson Navigation Company Chair of Global Business. “Emerging technologies—especially generative [which can create new content] and agentic AI [which can take action or make decisions]—were at the center of many discussions. Equally important were conversations about how these technologies reshape work, education and their unintended consequences for marginalized and underserved communities.”

The conference also brought a boost to the local economy. Among the more than 1,300 attendees, at least 30% were accompanied by family members. Organizers estimate the event generated roughly $5 million in revenue for the state during the first 10 days of the year.

More on HICSS

Founded in 1968, HICSS is the longest-running working scientific conference in information technology management. Its distinctive working-conference format emphasizes interaction, debate and collaboration, fostering close engagement between academic researchers and industry practitioners. Over its 59-year history, HICSS proceedings have generated more than 21,000 published papers and exceeded six million downloads worldwide. Google Scholar consistently ranks HICSS among the most cited conference series in its field.

HICSS will celebrate its 60th anniversary in January 2027 at the Hilton Waikoloa Village on Hawaiʻi Island, marking six decades of global impact in advancing systems science and responsible digital innovation.

Sign up now to safeguard your small business. The is launching a new series of free virtual meetings to help sole proprietors and small business owners across Hawaiʻi fortify their operations against online threats. The first session, focusing on essential “cyber hygiene,” is a crucial opportunity for local entrepreneurs to gain vital protection for their data and systems.

The inaugural “Introduction to Cybersecurity: Cyber Hygiene” clinic will be held on Wednesday, January 21, from noon to 1 p.m., HST, via Zoom.

Small businesses are frequent targets for cybercriminals, often due to limited resources. This clinic provides critically important, routine practices to protect networks and data. Debasis Bhattacharya, professor and program coordinator of the 东精影业 Maui College Applied Business and Information Technology Program, said cyber hygiene is “very much like maintaining personal health.” He will lead the workshops with David Stevens, assistant professor at Kapiʻolani Community College.

The introductory session will cover fundamental topics, including:

• Strong password policies and multi-factor authentication
• Regular software updates and patching
• Data backups and recovery
• Employee training and awareness
• Secure network and devices
• Access controls and incident response planning

No professional technical background is required, only fundamental knowledge of the internet. Additional information about this and subsequent events may be found here.

These sessions are offered at no cost, thanks to a collaboration between Google鈥檚 Cybersecurity Clinics Fund and the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics, which provided $1 million in grant funding to establish the University of Hawaiʻi Cybersecurity Clinics. The 东精影业 Cybersecurity Clinic is one of 15 launching nationwide.

The (PCATT), a consortium of the University of Hawaiʻi Community Colleges, has made a significant impact on local workforce development, with more than 16,524 students served through more than 1,816 classes since 2020. This demonstrates the center’s crucial role in providing advanced technology training across the region as it celebrates its 25th anniversary.

Core offerings, including certifications in networking, computer programming, software development, cloud computing, and cyber security, remain strong and continually updated. PCATT is also the sole Hawaiʻi-based sponsor offering a state-verified registered apprenticeship in information technology, providing a vital “earn-while-you-learn” pathway for residents to upskill.

Technology education leader

More than two decades after starting up PCATT remains a leader in providing high-quality, industry-relevant technology education, equipping local professionals with skills for high-demand careers. PCATT also operates a Cisco Networking Academy Support Center and Instructor Training Center for the Central Pacific (including Hawaiʻi, Guam, American Samoa, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia and Fiji).

PCATT continues to expand into cutting-edge fields, including a new AI for workforce pathway with training in generative AI and machine learning. This forward-looking approach will be highlighted at the PCATT Summit 2026: AI for Action and Impact in June 2026.

Director Dan Doerger said, “For 25 years, PCATT has helped shape 贬补飞补颈ʻ颈鈥檚 technology workforce—and with its continued innovation and partnerships, the next 25 promise to be even more transformative.”

Strengthening cybersecurity research and advancing more resilient software systems are the focus of two new projects in the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa that have secured National Science Foundation grants totaling $520,000. The awards will support efforts to address challenges in cybersecurity and to lay the groundwork for a future national center on resilient software systems.

Both efforts are led by Professor Mehdi Tarrit Mirakhorli and Assistant Professor Anthony Peruma.

“With the government planning a $1 billion investment in offensive cyber capabilities, our work is more vital than ever,” Mirakhorli said. “We are developing a foundational hacking framework to ensure the United States also leads in the responsible, offensive and defensive research needed to protect our critical infrastructure and national security.”

Peruma added, “东精影业 Mānoa is earning grants and recruiting talent to help position Hawaiʻi at the forefront of cybersecurity innovation, driving interdisciplinary research and regional resilience.”

Navigating cybersecurity dilemmas

The first award, a , will fund 东精影业 惭ā苍辞补鈥檚 “Sandbox for Cybersecurity Research.” The project aims to help researchers, students and professionals better navigate responsibility dilemmas in cybersecurity.

Through case studies, interactive simulations and classroom modules, the initiative will create tools to guide real-world decision making and promote responsible practices in handling sensitive data and security threats. The sandbox will also serve as an educational platform, training the next generation of cybersecurity professionals to balance technical expertise with responsibility.

Building resilient systems

The second grant, a , supports early work to design a multi-institution Center for Resilient by Design Software and Systems. This effort focuses on building computing systems that can withstand and recover from cyberattacks, rather than relying solely on defenses that react after a breach.

The planning period will include organizing the Cyber-Resilience Forum at MITRE Corporation in McLean, Virginia on November 14. This event, which is led by 东精影业 and hosted by MITRE, will serve as a trusted venue for government, industry and academic participants to explore the next frontiers of resilient-by-design systems. The goal is to unite universities, government and industry partners around a future national center dedicated to embedding resilience directly into the design of critical software and infrastructure.

Together, the grants highlight 东精影业鈥檚 growing role in advancing cybersecurity research at the intersection of technology, resilience and more.

The Department of Information and Computer Sciences is housed in 东精影业 惭ā苍辞补鈥檚 .

With cybersecurity skills in high demand, 20 local high school students got a head start this summer by completing a free college-level course at Leeward Community College. Over eight weeks, ICS 171: Introduction to Computer Security students learned about network security, cryptography and ethical hacking.

“This course made a field that once felt out of reach accessible,” said Antonio Gonzalez, a student at Leilehua High School. “Now that I have a better understanding of cybersecurity, I realize it鈥檚 something I can apply in my programming and even consider as a career path.”

Mentors and role models

Students engaged with professionals such as Brandon Lester, president of the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association Hawaiʻi, and Tess Schwalger, executive assistant to U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, who shared real-world insights into cybersecurity careers.

“We invest in mentors, guest speakers and role models so students can envision themselves in these roles,” said Jennifer Sabas, (P3I) co-lead. “It鈥檚 so important they know they have what it takes to be successful.”

Tedi Kam-Yahata, P3I鈥檚 K–12 lead, added, “To be successful, we knew we needed to start in the high schools, finding different ways to support career pathways.”

The class also took field trips to the Hitachi Rail operations center and the Naval Information Warfare Center in Pearl City, witnessing firsthand how cyber defense protects vital infrastructure.

“I highly recommend taking this course,” said Riley Allen, a Radford High School student. “Even if you don鈥檛 have that expertise, you can get beginner-level knowledge of it.”

Cybersecurity credentials

The three-credit course was a partnership between Leeward CC鈥檚 program and the P3I. It concluded on July 24, with a certificate presentation ceremony.

P3I also covered the cost of CompTIA Security+ exam vouchers, a widely recognized cybersecurity credential. One student passed the exam before the course ended.

Leeward CC plans to offer the course again next summer.

“Our goal is to give students a taste of college so that enrolling later feels less intimidating,” said William Albritton, Leeward CC professor and division chair.

—by Kaila Nishi and Devon Bedoya

Mehdi Tarrit Mirakhorli, a professor in the University of Hawaiʻi at M膩noa鈥檚 , moderated a national panel on cybersecurity innovation and federal defense strategy on June 12 in the nation鈥檚 capital.

Hosted by the Institute for Security and Technology, convened key players in policy, technology and infrastructure protection. Participants included members of Congress, executive branch of the government, leading think tanks and researchers, private-sector experts and civil society advocates. The panelists discussed hard questions on why America鈥檚 cyber innovation is broken.

“Real change will take uncomfortable conversations,” Mirakhorli said. “Despite decades of investment in cybersecurity—tools, talent and policy—threat campaigns like Volt Typhoon reveal that our nation’s critical infrastructure is still fundamentally vulnerable. Incremental R&D and putting band-aids on various solutions has failed. It is time to smash the temple and start over. Industry, academia and the public sector need to play their role, but that is different from how these entities are engaged today.”

Mirakhorli added, “The next breakthrough in cyber defense requires bold, mold-breaking joint ventures where academia, government incubators and private sector innovators work together. In Hawaiʻi, where we’re geographically isolated and deeply connected through shared infrastructure, resilience isn’t just a technical goal—it鈥檚 a necessity for our communities鈥� safety and well-being.”

Mirakhorli鈥檚 panel, Rethinking Cybersecurity: From Volt Typhoon to Resilience by Design, examined why major vulnerabilities persist across national cyber infrastructure despite decades of investment, and explored opportunities to reimagine the federal cybersecurity ecosystem amid rapidly evolving AI-driven threats. Panel members included representatives from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, BeyondTrust and Palo Alto Networks.

New ideas for essential systems

The panel also looked at how new ideas—from both government programs and private companies—could strengthen the systems we all rely on, such as electricity, emergency services, clean water and communication networks. The topics aligned closely with congressional appropriation requests under development to expand cybersecurity research and development in Hawaiʻi.

Critical Effect DC 2025 emphasized actionable solutions and featured sessions on infrastructure protection, cyber-physical systems and workforce development—particularly for underrepresented populations.

Mirakhorli, a faculty member in 东精影业 M膩noa鈥檚 Department of Information and Computer Sciences in the , has led major research initiatives in secure-by-design systems and cyber resilience. He has supported key federal agencies, including the Department of Defense, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Department of Homeland Security, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, in advancing national cybersecurity policy and protecting critical infrastructure.