SEATTLE - Antioch University alum dean McClelland sits at an old hangout around the corner from her alma mater.

Video: Computers breached at Seattle college

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She graduated from Antioch two years ago, which means her personal information was among 70,000 others in a computer system that school officials say was breached by an intruder three times last year.

"You don't think that a system that is secure, that you're logging in and out of to do work with your peers or give information to your professors is going to be able to be accessed and used for whatever," she said.

"Names and addresses, social security numbers, students stats," said spokeswoman Mary Lou LaPierre.

LaPierre says the university discovered the breach in February while clearing a virus from the system.

On three separate occasions, twice in June and once in October, someone had access to the personal information of current and former students, as well as payroll records of past and present employees and the social security numbers of student applicants.

"The system goes back to 1996 or 1997 so it does encompass a number of students," said LaPierre.

Although the university discovered the breach last month, it wasn't until Sunday that letters about it were sent out.

"The quicker they know about it the better it is for us because then we can be aware  and make changes we need to make in the way that we behave," said McClelland.

LaPierre contends the university tried to act as quickly as possible, and there is no evidence the intruder actually acquired, viewed or copied the information.

But just in case, Antioch is urging everyone on this list to get a copy of their credit report and review all bank and credit card statements.