Iranian Hackers Hacked the FBI Director’s Email

Iran-linked hackers from the Handala Hack Team hacked the personal email account of FBI Director Kash Patel and published some of the data online.

This was reported by Reuters.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Justice confirmed to the news agency that Patel’s email had been hacked and noted that the published materials appear to be authentic.

Handala, which positions itself as a group of pro-Palestinian “vigilantes,” is, according to Western researchers, one of several front organizations used by Iranian government cyberintelligence units.

Along with Patel’s photos, the hackers published a selection of over 300 emails, which likely contain both personal and official correspondence from 2010 to 2019.

Gil Messing, chief of staff at the Israeli cybersecurity firm Check Point, stated that the operation to hack and publish Patel’s data is part of Iran’s strategy aimed at discrediting U.S. officials and “making them feel vulnerable.”

On March 19, the U.S. State Department, as part of the “Rewards for Justice” program, offered a reward of up to $10 million for information on the Handala Hack Team.