Iran-linked hackers have breached the personal email account of FBI Director Kash Patel, publishing over 300 emails and personal photographs online, the hackers and the FBI confirmed on Friday. The group, known as Handala Hack Team, released images of Patel smoking cigars and posing with a bottle of rum, alongside correspondence dating from 2010 to 2019.
The FBI acknowledged the breach, with spokesperson Ben Williamson stating that necessary steps have been taken to mitigate risks and that the compromised data is historical and contains no government information. Handala, considered by Western researchers to be a front for Iranian government cyberintelligence units, has also claimed responsibility for recent attacks on Stryker and Lockheed Martin employees.
Reuters could not independently verify the authenticity of the leaked emails, but the Gmail address targeted matches one linked to Patel in previous data breaches. The hack-and-leak operation is seen as part of Iran's strategy to embarrass US officials, according to Gil Messing of Check Point, who noted that such breaches are not uncommon.
This incident follows a pattern of low-level cyber operations by Iran-linked groups, as outlined in a US intelligence assessment reviewed by Reuters. The assessment suggested Iran could respond to geopolitical tensions with such attacks, and other hackers may be holding additional data, including a claimed 100 gigabytes stolen from White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
