Iran-Linked Handala Hackers Claim Breach of FBI Director Kash Patel’s Personal Email, Release Documents Online
Hackers allegedly tied to Iran have claimed responsibility for compromising the personal email account of FBI Director Kash Patel, publishing images and documents linked to him across the internet.
The group, which identifies itself as Handala Hack Team, announced on its website that Patel had been added to its list of successfully targeted individuals. A Justice Department representative acknowledged the incident, stating that the leaked materials appear to be authentic.
The FBI had not issued a response at the time of reporting, and attempts to reach the hackers for comment were unsuccessful.
Handala describes itself as a pro-Palestinian hacktivist collective. Western cybersecurity analysts, however, believe the group functions as a front for Iranian state-sponsored cyber operations.
Earlier this month, the same group claimed a separate cyberattack on Stryker, a US-based medical technology company, alleging it had wiped a substantial volume of the firm’s data.
Reuters was unable to independently verify the authenticity of the leaked emails. That said, the Gmail address cited by the hackers matches one previously linked to Patel in older data breaches tracked by cybersecurity firm District 4 Labs. A review of the leaked content indicates it includes both personal and professional communications spanning roughly a decade, from 2010 to 2019.