A ransomware attack on August 31, 2025, compromised the personal data of approximately 1.2 million individuals associated with the University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center. The attack targeted servers supporting research operations, but fortunately, did not affect clinical care or patient services. In an effort to mitigate the damage, officials negotiated with the threat actors to obtain a decryption tool and ensured the exfiltrated data was supposedly destroyed. The breach highlights the vulnerability of research institutions to cyber threats, potentially exposing sensitive information1. This incident underscores the importance of robust cybersecurity measures in protecting personal data, particularly in the healthcare and research sectors. The significant number of individuals affected makes it crucial for organizations to reassess their security protocols to prevent similar breaches in the future.