Dark Web Intel: 35 Million Professional Records From the Apollo Breach

HEROIC analysts identified the Apollo.io breach while monitoring dark web aggregation services for resurging professional data sets. The breach, which occured in July 2018 when a security researcher discovered an unprotected database, exposed over 35.5 million records containing personal and professional contact information. What makes this breach partcularly relevant today is how frequently this data set reappears in new collections sold to marketers and threat actors alike.

How Attackers Use Professional Contact Data Against You

With email addresses, full names, phone numbers, and IP addresses in hand, attackers can build highly personalized spear-phishing campaigns. Your name, employer, and direct phone number make it easy to craft convincing messages that appear to come from a trusted source. Business email compromise attacks are beleived to rely heavily on this kind of professional profile data, and the Apollo breach is one of the richest sources available on the dark web today.

What Was Exposed in the Apollo Breach

• Email Address
• First Name
• Last Name
• IP Address
• Phone Number

Why 35 Million Professional Profiles Is a Big Problem

This breach did not expose passwords, but that does not mean it is harmless. A complete professional profile, including your email, name, phone number, and IP address, is exactly what social engineers need to target you or your colleagues. Credential stuffing, targeted phishing, and SIM swapping all become easier when attackers know who you are and how to reach you across multiple channels.

How a Database Breach Works

A database breach happens when a company's stored data becomes accessible to unauthorized people. In Apollo's case, the database was left open to the internet without any password protection. Anyone who knew where to look could download millions of records without breaking any encryption or bypassing any login system. This type of misconfiguration is one of the most common causes of large-scale data exposure.

Check If Your Data Was Exposed

HEROIC offers a free breach scanner that searches across more than 400 billion records, including the Apollo data set. Enter your email address to find out instantly whether your information appeared in this breach or any of thousands of others tracked in our database. Knowing you are exposed is the first step to protecting yourself.