Shell reports cybersecurity breach at BG Group unit in Australia

The news: Shell has revealed a cybersecurity breach at the company's BG Group unit in Australia. The hack, involving employee data from 2013, is the latest relating to the software tool MOVEit, used to transfer large amounts of sensitive personal data, including social security numbers.

The numbers: Shell has identified some personal information related to the affected individuals that was accessed without any authorisation and has made attempts to notify them of the breach. It did not clarify the exact number of individuals affected. The company completed its $70 billion takeover of BG Group in 2016, bringing into its portfolio multiple oil and gas projects across countries like Brazil and Australia.

The context: The hack is the latest in a string of rising security breaches seen in corporate Australia since late last year, which led the government to reform its cybersecurity rules and set up an agency to oversee government investment in the field. A number of global businesses have reported similar breaches relating to MOVEit.

What they said: "The data is from 2013 and although it is historic and some of it may be out of date, there is a risk to impacted individuals of identity theft and being targeted by phishing campaigns," Shell said in a statement.