APA, Viterra caught up in Frontier ransomware attack

Two more companies, infrastructure operator APA Group and agribusiness Viterra, have identified themselves as victims of the Frontier Software data breach.

The breach was first disclosed last year after a ransomware attack impacted Frontier’s CHRIS21 payroll software.

In both cases, data of employees and former employees, not customers or suppliers, is potentially involved.

APA, which recently acquired Basslink, said around 460 former and 130 current employees may be impacted.

“Frontier informed APA this data included name, date of birth, some salary information and tax file numbers,” APA's notification states.

Viterra did not disclose the number of affected staff: the Frontier breach, it said, “has impacted a limited subset of data relating to a number of current and former employees in 2006 of Viterra”.

"Name, address, date of birth, tax file number, BSB number, financial account number, superannuation membership details, salary information and/or position within Viterra" may have been exposed.

Free IDCARE support is available to affected individuals of both organisations, and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, the Australian Cyber Security Centre, the Australian Tax Office and the Australian Federal Police have all been notified.

Other organisations caught up in the breach included Tasmanian casino operator Federal Group, South Australian government employees, and in September, the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation and Workskil Australia.