Millions of records exposed!
A recent data breach at Apollo.io, a popular sales platform, has left millions of users, particularly those in France, vulnerable.
Is your data safe?
This guide dives deep into the Apollo.io breach, explaining what happened and how to protect yourself.
Apollo.io is a business-to-business data broker that pulls validated emails and fresh leads from a database of more than 275 million contacts. Apollo.io connects users with precise buyer data and offers high-value leads via a sales AI.
Apollo.io gathers data for its services from a variety of sources, including:
They collect data from clients and other sources, information provided by the user, payment details, and additional information about account support and maintenance.
They also collect automated information from websites and apps via technologies such as web beacons and cookies regarding browsers, devices, and interactions.
They also gather data that is willingly disclosed during marketing campaigns.
Information about event and meeting recordings for business and marketing purposes is also collected.
It's essential to opt out of Apollo.io to protect your security and privacy. Apollo.io gathers many personal and professional data from its vast database of over 275 million contacts.
Opting out gives you more control over who has access to your data and lowers the possibility of illegal use. It also assists in avoiding undesired sales calls, reducing security risks associated with large databases, and maintaining compliance with privacy legislation.
Step 1: Open a web browser and go to https://www.apollo.io/. Once you find the Browse Apollo's Directories icon, scroll down the homepage. To view the People and Companies search directory choices, click on it.
Step 2: Click on the first letter of your name in the People directory to find your profile, then follow the instructions in the window that appears.
Step 3: After locating your name in the people search results, click on it to view the details of your profile.
Step 4: A display of your profile will appear. Copy the URL for your profile from the web address field, as seen in the image below.
Step 5: Stay on your profile page and go to the bottom. Locate and click the "Do Not Sell My Info" link.
Note: If you cannot discover your profile in the People search directory, scroll to the bottom of the Apollo.io homepage to locate and click on the link labeled "Do Not Sell My Info." Proceed to Step 5 below after that.
Step 6: In the opt-out form that appears, enter your company email address in the given field and click the Click here to opt out of the Apollo button.
Step 7: You'll receive a notification to check your business email account.
Step 8: Look for an email from Apollo.io in your business email account. To proceed with the verification link, open the email and click the "Click here" button.
Step 9: Apollo.io will confirm that your information has been deleted from their website with an on-screen notification.
They collect and check data from numerous sources to choose the most reliable source. They get data using public data crawling, email engagement technologies, the network of one million data contributors, and verified third-party data sources.
After receiving a confirmation email about removing your profile, a follow-up email stating that your data would be deleted in a day should be noted. Send an email to [email protected] for assistance or further details. You may ask for the website to remove all of your data.
Apollo deletes the contact from its database after the opt-out takes. Apollo then stores their email address exclusively to honor their opt-out request and ensure they do not return to the Apollo database.
Under the CCPA, residents of California may choose not to sell business information, and under the GDPR, anyone in the EEA, the UK, and Switzerland may object to data processing. To make use of these rights, fill out the form on the privacy policy page. Your email address will only be kept for opt-out preferences once your profile is deleted.
Opting out of Apollo.io manually is simple, you just need to fill out their form, but ensuring that your information will not be collected in the future is uncertain.
You can use PurePrivacy to automatically opt out and improve your privacy for a hassle-free experience. It's an easy way to regain control over your information.