FBI Director Kash Patel's personal email account has been hacked by an Iran-linked group, the agency has confirmed. A group, known as the Handala Hack Team, shared Patel's purported resume and photos of him on its website on Friday along with a statement that says: This is just our beginning. The FBI said it was aware of malicious actors targeting Patel's email information. The information in question is historical in nature and involves no government information. The agency is offering up to $10m (£7.5m) for information that helps in identifying members of the Handala group.
Iranian-backed hackers were reported to have breached Patel's private communications in 2024, weeks before he was appointed to lead the FBI. It is not clear if that breach was different from the one claimed by the Handala group on Friday. Photos claimed to be from Patel's email account have been circulating on social media with the group's logo as a watermark. These photos show Patel in various unidentified locations, including standing beside a vintage convertible, smiling next to a jet, and posing at restaurants.
Cynthia Kaiser, senior vice-president at Halcyon Ransomware Research Center, believes the released emails are likely from an older breach. The emails look very old, and that makes me believe this is likely a compromise that occurred from other groups in another time period, and is recycled today, she said.
The Handala group claimed to have compromised Patel's email in retaliation for the FBI's seizure of its websites and the $10m reward for information on hacking activities. Earlier in March, the Handala group also claimed responsibility for a cyber-attack on U.S. medical technology firm Stryker, asserting that it had wiped extensive data as part of its operations. Experts note that personal accounts lack the same security protections as government systems, making them attractive targets for hackers.
Iranian-backed hackers were reported to have breached Patel's private communications in 2024, weeks before he was appointed to lead the FBI. It is not clear if that breach was different from the one claimed by the Handala group on Friday. Photos claimed to be from Patel's email account have been circulating on social media with the group's logo as a watermark. These photos show Patel in various unidentified locations, including standing beside a vintage convertible, smiling next to a jet, and posing at restaurants.
Cynthia Kaiser, senior vice-president at Halcyon Ransomware Research Center, believes the released emails are likely from an older breach. The emails look very old, and that makes me believe this is likely a compromise that occurred from other groups in another time period, and is recycled today, she said.
The Handala group claimed to have compromised Patel's email in retaliation for the FBI's seizure of its websites and the $10m reward for information on hacking activities. Earlier in March, the Handala group also claimed responsibility for a cyber-attack on U.S. medical technology firm Stryker, asserting that it had wiped extensive data as part of its operations. Experts note that personal accounts lack the same security protections as government systems, making them attractive targets for hackers.
