Iran-linked group claims hack of FBI Director Kash Patel
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FBI Director Kash Patel during a House Intelligence Committee hearing last week. Photo: Daniel Heuer/Bloomberg via Getty Images
A hacktivist group that the U.S. has linked to back to Iranian intelligence services claims it has stolen "personal and confidential information" from FBI Director Kash Patel, including emails, documents and potentially confidential files.
Why it matters: If confirmed, this would be the most significant cyberattack of the ongoing war between the U.S., Israel and Iran, and could put an uncomfortable spotlight on Patel.
- The FBI did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A DOJ source told Reuters that Patel's email had been breached.
Driving the news: Handala Hack Team, a pro-Iranian hacktivist group, posted a handful of photos of Patel standing next to cars with Cuban license plates and smoking cigars, according to the post on Handala's website seen by Axios.
- The group also shared a purported snippet of an older version of his personal resume.
- The group has also shared an apparent zip file that it claims is filled with more stolen documents, according to the post. Axios has not verified the validity of the documents in the zip file.
The intrigue: Handala claims that the breach is in response the FBI's operation last week to seize several of the hacker group's domains.
- The bureau took that action after Handala claimed responsibility for a cyberattack on U.S. medical tech company Stryker.
- "While the FBI proudly seized our domains and immediately announced a $10 million reward for the heads of Handala hack members, we decided to respond to this ridiculous show in a way that will be remembered forever," the group wrote on its website Friday.
Yes, but: Groups like Handala are known to make exaggerated claims about the scale of their hacks and the information they've stolen.
The big picture: Iran is known to lean on proxy groups like Handala for its cyber operations — making it more difficult for targeted entities to formally attribute attacks to the Iranian government.
- Experts have warned that the Iranian government will likely pursue both destructive cyberattacks against critical infrastructure and online influence operations designed to create confusion and chaos during the war.
Go deeper: First cyberattacks of war hint at Iran's playbook against U.S.
