Tehran-linked hackers ‘breach’ FBI Director’s account, release data
US Justice Dept says leaked material appears authentic
Hackers believed to be linked to Iran have claimed they breached the personal email account of FBI Director Kash Patel, publishing photographs and excerpts of correspondence online.
The group, calling itself the Handala Hack Team, said on its website that Patel would now find his name “among the list of successfully hacked victims”. It released a series of personal images showing the director in various settings, along with documents it said were retrieved from his inbox.
A US Justice Department official confirmed that Patel’s email account had been compromised and said material posted online appeared authentic. The FBI did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Handala, which describes itself as a pro-Palestinian vigilante hacking collective, is regarded by Western cyber researchers as one of several fronts linked to Iranian government cyber-intelligence units. The group recently claimed responsibility for a cyberattack on US medical devices firm Stryker, alleging it had deleted large volumes of company data.
Reuters said it could not independently verify the emails. However, the Gmail address cited by the hackers matched one associated with Patel in earlier data breaches tracked by dark-web intelligence firm District 4 Labs. Sample material reviewed by the news agency suggested a mix of personal and official correspondence dating from 2010 to 2019.
