Sequoia Capital investigates cyber security breach that might have exposed investors' data

GLOBAL venture capital (VC) firm Sequoia Capital is investigating a breach in its information technology systems, after a successful phishing attack might have compromised its investors' personal data.

Sequoia Capital on Friday told its investors that some personal data and financial information may have been accessed by a third party after one of its employees fell victim to a successful phishing attack, according to a report from US news website Axios.

BT understands that the company has been monitoring the Dark Web, but has yet to see any indication of compromised information that has been traded or exploited. It was not immediately clear how many investors were affected by the breach.

The majority of the VC firm's partners are nonprofit organisations, charity foundations and university endowment funds. The firm raised over US$1.35 billion in July last year for two new funds that will invest across India and South-east Asia, placing it as one of the top VC players in the region. Its portfolio companies in the region include Tokopedia, Gojek and Oyo.

In response to BT's queries on Monday, Sequoia said its security team has "responded promptly to investigate".

Law enforcement and cyber security experts have been engaged to help remediate the issue and maintain the ongoing security of our systems, it added.

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"We regret that this incident has occurred, and have notified affected individuals. We have made considerable investments in security, and will continue to make investments in this space as we work to address constantly evolving cyber threats," a Sequoia spokesperson told BT.