The Iranian-linked hacker group Handala announced Friday it had breached the personal Gmail account of FBI director Kash Patel.
In a post to their website, the hackers shared sample photos of Patel from before his time in the FBI, a resumé and a download link for the larger data cache.
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“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,” the hackers wrote.
A Justice Department official confirmed to Reuters, which first reported the hack, that Patel’s email had been breached and that the leaked files appeared authentic.
The FBI also confirmed the breach in a statement released on Friday.
“The FBI is aware of malicious actors targeting Director Patel’s personal email information, and we have taken all necessary steps to mitigate potential risks associated with this activity,” the agency said. “The information in question is historical in nature and involves no government information.”
The leak represents an escalation in an ongoing battle between Handala and U.S. officials and other entities amid the war in Iran. Handala, which portrays itself as a pro-Palestinian hacktivist group, is accused by cybersecurity researchers of having direct ties to Iranian intelligence agencies.
Earlier this month, Handala carried out a crippling cyberattack against the U.S.-based medical equipment company Stryker. The attack wiped data from tens of thousands of employee computers and cell phones globally.
Since then, in an effort to limit Handala’s reach, the FBI has taken down several of the group’s websites. U.S. authorities also posted a $10 million reward for information on the group.
The emails from Patel’s Gmail account cover the years 2011 to 2022, according to CNN. In 2012, Patel joined the Justice Department as a prosecutor on national security cases. He later worked for the House Intelligence Committee, the National Security Council and the Defense Department. The leak included business and personal emails, CNN reported.
A Straight Arrow News analysis of the data cache showed 324 emails in total had been released. SAN attempted to reach Patel over the phone number listed on his resumé but was unsuccessful.
The hackers vowed in their post on Friday to continue their attacks against the U.S.
“This is the security that the U.S. government boasts about?!” the group wrote. “This is the cyber giant that thinks threats and bribes can silence the voice of resistance?! To the whole world, we declare: the FBI is just a name, and behind this name, there is no real security. If your director can compromise this easily, what do you expect from your lower-level employees?”
