New York-based private equity giant Apollo Global Management said on Friday it suffered a data breach last month after hackers targeted financial firms using phone-based social engineering and password-stealing websites.
In a letter to affected individuals, Apollo Global Head of Human Capital Matthew Breitfelder said the company first learned of the incident in early July, when it detected unauthorized access to certain cloud platforms between July 6 and July 10. Apollo engaged external cybersecurity and forensic experts and notified law enforcement as the investigation continues.
The compromised data included names, dates of birth, contact information, home addresses and social security numbers, according to the letter. Apollo said at the time of disclosure it had not found evidence that the stolen information had been publicly posted or used for identity theft or fraud.
The breach occurred amid a wave of cyberattacks that recently targeted multiple U.S. financial institutions, including ride-hailing company Uber’s freight unit and apparel brand Levi Strauss. Cybercriminals reportedly used low-tech tactics such as phone calls alongside deceptive websites designed to harvest employee credentials from private equity and financial firms.
Affected individuals have been offered complimentary third-party identity protection and credit monitoring services, Breitfelder said in the letter.
