Iran-linked group claims successful hack of FBI Director’s personal email

IRAN – (Web Desk) – An Iranian-linked hacker group says it has accessed the personal email account of FBI Director Kash Patel — and it’s already sharing what it found online.

The group, known as Handala Hack Team, claimed responsibility on Friday for the breach, publishing personal photos and documents they say belong to Patel. The FBI confirmed the attack, acknowledging that “malicious actors” had targeted Patel’s personal email and that it had “taken all necessary steps to mitigate potential risks.”

The bureau was quick to add that no government information was involved, describing the compromised material as “historical in nature.”

According to Israeli cybersecurity firm Check Point, the leaked emails date from 2010 to 2019 — years before Patel was appointed FBI Director by President Donald Trump. Analysts believe the data likely came from an old email account or a cloud backup, not an active government inbox.

“The data appears to consist largely of older email correspondence and personal files dating back many years, rather than evidence of an active or ongoing intrusion,” said Check Point’s chief of staff, Gil Messing.

Among the material released online were personal photos of Patel, including pictures of him smoking cigars and posing with an antique car.

The group wasted no time with dramatic language. In a statement tracked by the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors jihadist and extremist organizations, Handala declared:

“The so-called ‘impenetrable’ systems of the FBI were brought to their knees within hours by our team.”

The hackers also claimed that emails, conversations, documents, and even classified files were now available for public download — though cybersecurity experts have cast doubt on the more extreme claims.

Handala said the hack was dedicated to the crew of the Dena, an Iranian navy destroyer reportedly sunk by a US submarine earlier this month off the southern coast of Sri Lanka.

The US government isn’t taking this lightly. The State Department has offered a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the identification of Handala members — a sign of how seriously Washington views the group’s growing threat.

Just last week, the FBI and Justice Department seized four website domains allegedly used by hackers tied to Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security. Two of those domains were reportedly linked to Handala. According to the Justice Department, the sites were used for psychological operations, posting stolen data, and even calling for the killing of journalists, dissidents, and Israeli nationals.

“Iran thought they could hide behind fake websites and keyboard threats to terrorize Americans and silence dissidents,” Patel said in a March 19 statement.

He didn’t stop there. “This FBI will hunt down every actor behind these cowardly death threats and cyberattacks,” he added, promising the full force of US law enforcement in response.

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This incident doesn’t exist in isolation. The Justice Department had already warned of potential Iranian cyberattacks following the February 28 launch of US-Israeli military operations against Iran. Handala has a documented history of targeting US government officials, making this breach part of a broader, escalating pattern of state-linked cyber aggression.