An Iran-linked hacker group has breached the personal email account of FBI Director Kash Patel and published private photographs, emails, and other personal documents online, in what U.S. officials and cybersecurity experts see as the latest digital retaliation campaign tied to rising tensions between Washington and Tehran.
The group claiming responsibility is Handala Hack Team, a pro-Iranian hacking outfit that U.S. authorities have linked to broader psychological operations and cyber-enabled intimidation efforts. Reuters reported Friday that the hackers said they accessed Patel's personal Gmail account and posted more than 300 emails, along with photographs and documents, on the internet. The material reportedly dates from 2010 to 2019 and includes both personal and some official correspondence, although officials told Reuters the exposed emails do not appear to contain classified government information.
