FBI Director Kash Patel's email account has been hacked by an Iran-linked group, with his private emails and photos being published online, the agency has confirmed.
The group, known as the Handala Hack Team, shared Patel's purported resume and photos of him on its website along with a statement that says: This is just our beginning.
If your director can be compromised this easily, what do you expect from your lower-level employees? it adds. The FBI stated that the accessed information is historical in nature and involves no government information.
This is not the first time Iranian-backed hackers have breached Patel's account, as he was targeted in 2024, just weeks before his appointment to the FBI.
Photos claimed to be taken from Patel's emails have circulated on social media with the group's logo as a watermark. They depict Patel at various locations, including standing beside a vintage convertible and posing in restaurants.
The BBC has not independently verified the leaked documents.
In its hacking announcement, Handala stated that the so-called 'impenetrable' systems of the FBI were brought to their knees within hours by our team. They questioned the security that the U.S. government boasts about.
The FBI is now offering up to $10 million for information leading to the identification of members of the Handala group.
Recently, the U.S. Justice Department seized several Handala domain names associated with hacking activities linked to the Iranian regime.
Handala claims the hack into Patel's emails was in retaliation for the FBI's seizure of its websites and the $10 million reward for information on similar attacks.
Earlier in March, Handala also claimed responsibility for a cyberattack on U.S. medical technology firm Stryker, where they claimed to erase over 200,000 systems and extract significant data.
