HERKIMER - The tech services provider for Herkimer County Community College and several SUNY schools, says a laptop computer with students' personal information has been stolen.

HCCC officials sent out a letter to past and present students, informing them that on March 13, the laptop was stolen while a Sungard employee was doing a project at an undisclosed college. Because of that, the company is taking every step possible to protect the identity of those students.

The letter suggests the laptop was stolen for the value of the hardware, and not the private information. Despite that theory, Sungard officials are playing it safe, and offering free credit monitoring for one year, to affected students.

If you received a letter from your college, it explains how to sign up for that credit monitoring.

You must first to to the Sungard website, give them the activation code you received, then you can sign up for the credit monitoring. On that website, the CEO of Sungard has issued a statement.

Part of it reads:

"Our investigation continues and our security specialists remain focused on analyzing the files to determine if additional individuals or institutions have been affected...we will continue to work with our customers throughout this process and will notify them if more personally identifiable information is discovered."

If you have any questions regarding the theft or how to get help if you're effected you can go to that website: www.sungardhe.com/laptoptheft

As we mentioned several SUNY schools had their information on that laptop. However, Mohawk Valley Community College did not.

Media relations representatives said the colleges most recent conversation with the Sungard company revealed there were no MVCC students affected by this theft.