Administration

HDOT Holds Virtual Live Auction to Support AUW

By: Melanie Martin

As the Aloha United Way (AUW) campaign draws to an end on Oahu, the AUW Fundraising Committee “kicked it up a notch” by holding a virtual silent auction on December 8th. In less than an hour, HDOT raised $1,730 during the live auction emceed by Darren Cantrill (CSS) and Juli Chun (ADM). More money was raised at the live auction than all of HDOT’s special events combined. Approximately 30 participants bid on items such as air plants, bottles of wine, a Kate Spade purse, earrings, and gift cards to restaurants. Perhaps the most creative donations came from the top. A bidding war over Director Jade Butay’s three decadent Valentine’s Day New York Style cheesecakes was exciting to watch. Lynn Araki-Regan’s dinner for six paired with dining etiquette lessons blew everyone away with two bidders bidding over $500 apiece.

In addition to the live auction, a weeklong virtual silent auction is estimated to bring in another $400 to $500 to support AUW. Silent auction items included gift cards, face masks, air plants, holiday crafts, Starbucks merchandise, apparel, and more. Managers also answered the call and gave generous cash donations for this special event.

Even in these uncertain economic times, the spirt of giving exemplified by our employees is incredible and commendable. While the Fundraising Committee projected to raise only $10,000 this year due to the pandemic, thanks to your generosity, HDOT is on track to nearly double this goal. Mahalo HDOT!

Administration

We Phish You a Merry Christmas

By: Darren Cantrill

Santa is on his way! With Black Friday and Cyber Monday over, you’re now on the hunt for the best Christmas deals. Opening emails from your favorite stores on smartphones, tablets, and computers, it’s easy to jump from email to email without really paying attention to see where that email came from. This year, more shoppers will be purchasing gifts online, but as online sales boom, so do cyber-attacks.

With so many of us shopping online, we open ourselves to phishing attacks (see September newsletter), spam emails, malicious websites, viruses and other cyber-attacks attempting to steal our money and information. Cyber criminals will most likely be impersonating retailers, couriers, and payment services.

It’s common for a cybercriminal to use emails to gain access to your financial or personal information. Criminals will send a phishing email, where they will copy a retailer’s sale or discount email and include a link to a false portal/website, requesting that you enter your information. Criminals are relying on you to be in a rush and to not pay attention in your quest for those cheap deals online!

Pay attention to all emails! Sometimes you can spot these phishing emails by the strange email address of who sent it. You might even notice spelling errors and incorrect usage of grammar. Use common sense when submitting any personal or financial information and ask yourself why would any reputable organization request this type of information?

But what happens if you ignore this advice and accidently click on a phishing link or download an attachment? Chances are pretty good that you just installed some type of malware, virus, spyware, or ransomware on your device. If you suspect this has happened, immediately disconnect your device from the Internet, backup all your data, scan your device for malware and viruses, change your passwords, setup a fraud alert and continue with caution. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

To help reduce our risk to cybercrime over Christmas, you should take the following actions:

• Be wary of new retailers. Always buy from vendors you trust. If that new vendor has an outstanding deal not found anywhere else, it’s probably too good to be true. • Use retailers with secured websites. Secure websites will display a closed padlock in the URL address bar. • Check bank statements regularly. You should do this all the time, not just during Christmas. • Keep all electronic device’s software up to date. Out of date software allows cybercriminals to take advantage of known exploits. Don’t forget about those smartphones and tablets. Christmas is a special time of year, and we need to be thankful for everything we have. Don’t let a cybercriminal take more from you than you’re willing to give.

Don’t forget when you purchase that new PC or Apple product to include Antivirus Protection. Here are a couple of links to help you make that decision from PC Mag:

PC: https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-antivirus-protection Mac: https://www.pcmag.com/picks/ the-best-mac-antivirus-protection

Administration

How to Gather Safely During the Holidays

By: Melanie Martin

It’s the holidays, and we all want to get together to celebrate with friends and family. Yet with COVID-19 still threatening our health and safety, we may want to reconsider how we gather this holiday season.

The Hawai’i Department of Health has launched a campaign on how to gather safely and provides a lot of information on the COVID-19 portal at https://hawaiicovid19.com/. These are some of their recommendations for gathering safely this holiday season:

1. Know the risks - I’m so done with virtual celebrations! I want to see people in person! If you must celebrate in person, outdoor gatherings pose the lowest risk, so consider staying outside in the backyard, on the lanai, or at the beach. If your gathering is indoors, keep the windows and doors open. Better to have a few flies than to risk being infected with COVID-19.

2. Know the rules - Every county has different rules in terms of how many people are allowed at gatherings, so be sure to visit the county’s websites:

Kauai County: https://www.kauai.gov/COVID-19

Honolulu County: https://www.oneoahu.org/ Maui County: https://www.mauicounty.gov/

Hawai’i County: https://coronavirus-response-county-of-hawaii-hawaiicountygis.hub. arcgis.com/

3. Practice social distancing – You know what this means. Stay six feet apart from those who are not in your immediate household. Use blankets, pillows chairs, etc. to keep six feet apart. Watch da keiki, as they are not used to social distancing.

4. Wear a mask – As much as possible, wear a mask, and take it off only when eating.

5. Don’t share food – Like the young woman on the public service announcement says, “keep YOUR hands off MY laulau.” It is recommended that food not be shared, and everyone have their own bentos.

6. Avoid hugs or kisses – We all know the local greeting is with a hug and kiss. Let’s all be “local” next year.

For more information on safe gatherings, go to https://hawaiicovid19.com/safe-gatherings/.

Happy Holidays!