The financial aid records of more than 15,000 Kapi'olani Community College students may have been compromised by a computer virus, university officials said, but no one has reported any identity theft.

The virus affected a computer with access to financial aid records of students from Jan. 1, 2004, to April 15, 2009, KCC Chancellor Leon Richards said yesterday.

A computer with access to personal information of financial aid applicants was infected by "malware" — malicious software designed to infiltrate or damage computers — that has the potential to steal sensitive data, Richards said.

The affected computer — whose anti-virus software had not been updated — did not have the financial information on it, but was connected to a network where the sensitive data was stored.

"This has never happened before on this scale or magnitude," Richards said. "And definitely not with our campus. The bottom line is we don't know whether or not sensitive data was transferred."

Data that could have been accessed included information used on financial aid applications, such as names, addresses, phone numbers, birth dates and Social Security numbers. The police and FBI have forensic experts examining the computer's hard drive to determine if information has been shared on the Internet, Richards said.

In light of the possible breach, the university tightened its electronic security, said Carolyn Tanaka, University of Hawai'i system spokeswoman. The changes include: