A group of hackers linked to Iran has claimed responsibility for breaching the personal email account of FBI Director Kash Patel, posting photographs and documents they say were taken from the account online.
The hackers, who operate under the name Handala Hack Team, announced the alleged breach on their website, stating that Patel had joined their list of “successfully hacked victims.”
A U.S. Justice Department official confirmed that Patel’s email had been compromised and said the material published online appears to be authentic. The FBI has not immediately responded to requests for comment, and the hacker group has not provided further details about how the breach was carried out.
Handala describes itself as a pro-Palestinian vigilante hacking collective. Western cybersecurity researchers, however, believe the group is one of several online personas used by Iranian government cyberintelligence units. The group has previously claimed responsibility for cyberattacks targeting organizations in the United States and elsewhere.
Earlier this month, Handala said it hacked Michigan-based medical technology company Stryker, claiming to have deleted a large volume of the company’s data.
Reuters reported that it could not independently verify the authenticity of the emails allegedly taken from Patel’s account. However, the Gmail address cited by the hackers matches an address previously linked to Patel in earlier data breaches documented by dark web intelligence firm District 4 Labs.
Samples of the material posted online appear to include a mix of personal and professional correspondence dating from 2010 to 2019, along with photographs of the FBI director. The incident highlights growing concerns about cyberattacks linked to geopolitical tensions and the increasing targeting of high-profile officials.