Apollo confirms data breach in hacking wave targeting financial firms
This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.
Apollo Global Management confirmed hackers stole personal data from its cloud systems between July 6 and July 10. The breach exposed names, birth dates, contact information, and Social Security numbers. The disclosure follows Google's warning of a social engineering campaign targeting private equity and financial firms.
Key Facts
- Apollo Global Management disclosed the breach in a letter filed with California's attorney general.
- Hackers accessed Apollo's cloud environment between July 6 and July 10 using social engineering.
- Stolen data included names, birth dates, home addresses, and Social Security numbers.
- Apollo managed $938 billion in assets and employed about 5,000 people as of February 2026.
- Google attributed the campaign to BlackFile, a group affiliated with The Com, operating as Redact, Pink, Helix, and Falcon.
Breach Details
Apollo's human resources chief Matthew Breitfelder said hackers used a social engineering attack to gain access to the company's cloud environment between July 6 and July 10. The hackers took names, birth dates, contact information including home addresses, and Social Security numbers. The letter does not specify whose personal information was stolen, such as Apollo employees or individuals at companies it owns. Apollo spokesperson Giovanna Falbo did not immediately provide comment or answer questions about whether the company paid a ransom.
Campaign Attribution
Google earlier this month attributed the ongoing campaign to BlackFile, a threat group affiliated with The Com. The group recently split its extortion operations across four brands with shared infrastructure: Redact, Pink, Helix, and Falcon. Google said the hackers rely largely on social engineering attacks that involve calling employees and pretending to be IT helpdesks or support. The goal is to trick employees into entering passwords and multi-factor authentication codes in spoofed login portals. Some of the attacks netted the hackers ransoms as much as $750,000, according to Google.
Sector Impact
Apollo is the first victim to formally disclose that sensitive personal data under its care was compromised by the wave of attacks. The attacks have hit large private equity firms, law firms, financial rating agencies, and medical technology companies. Reuters reported that hackers targeted Apollo, Blackstone, Bridgewater, Bain Capital, and others, but it was unclear if any had been successfully breached. Apollo is one of the world's largest private equity firms with $938 billion in assets under management.
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Apollo confirms data breach in hacking wave targeting financial firms
