NEW DELHI: US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) director Kash Patel's email was hacked, as claimed by Iran-linked hackers publicly on Friday.
The hackers got access to Patel's personal inbox, with photographs of the director and his purported resume, as reported by Reuters. On its website, the hacker group Handala Hack Team said Patel “will now find his name among the list of successfully hacked victims.”
A Department of Justice (DOJ) official confirmed the security breach in a statement to Reuters, but did not give details on exactly what was compromised. He did however say that "it appears authentic".
“Kash Patel, the current head of the FBI, who once saw his name displayed with pride on the agency's headquarters, will now find his name among the list of successfully hacked victims," said the hacker group in a message.
The post was accompanied by more than half a dozen photographs of Patel, including images showing him beside an antique sports car and another with a cigar. The group also claimed it had released emails and other documents from the account, many of which appeared to relate to personal travel and business activities dating back over a decade.
The timeline of the alleged breach remains unclear, though reports had indicated that Patel was among individuals targeted in an Iranian-linked hacking campaign.
Handala, described as a pro-Iranian, pro-Palestinian hacking group, has previously claimed responsibility for cyberattacks, including a recent disruption at Stryker. The group said that incident was in retaliation for suspected US strikes that it alleged killed Iranian schoolchildren.
US authorities have also flagged the group in recent actions. The Department of Justice last week announced the seizure of four web domains linked to Iranian hacking operations and threats against dissidents, identifying Handala as part of a broader ecosystem of proxy cyber groups.
