About the incident
According to a statement issued by the organization last week, hackers gained access to documents that included 1998 voter registration records from the City and County of Honolulu, as well as Social Security numbers (SSNs) and driver’s license numbers gathered from the Hawaiʻi State Department of Transportation.
A 1993 Multiethnic Cohort (MEC) Study was shown to be partially responsible for the breach. The institution recruited study participants using voter registration information and driver’s license numbers. Health information was included in some of the files that were made public.
Leaked information
Files related to three other epidemiological studies of diet and cancer were retrieved, along with data on MEC Study participants. To determine whether further sensitive data was obtained, the hack is still being investigated. According to the university, “additional individuals whose personal information may have been included in the historical driver’s license and voter registration records with SSN identifiers number approximately 1.15 million.”
A total of 87,493 study participants had their information taken. The cyber problem was initially found on August 31, 2025, according to a report the university gave to the state assembly in January.
Attack discovery
The stolen data was found in a subset of research files on specific servers supporting the epidemiological research activities of the University of Hawaii Cancer Center. The University of Hawaii Cancer Center’s clinical trials activities, patient care, and other divisions were unaffected by the ransomware attack. The University of Hawaii Cancer Center’s director, Naoto Ueno, expressed regret for the incident last week and stated that the organization was “committed to transparency.”
According to the institution, in order to address the issue, they hired cybersecurity specialists and notified law enforcement after the attackers encrypted and probably stole data. The cybersecurity company acquired “an affirmation that any information obtained was destroyed” and a decryption tool.
Three universities, seven community colleges, one employment training center, and numerous research institutions dispersed over six islands make up the University of Hawaii system. About 50,000 students are served by it.
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