Iran-linked hackers breach FBI Director Kash Patel’s email

The Handala Hack group on Thursday claimed it hacked FBI Director Kash Patel’s personal inbox, publishing old photos and an apparent resume, according to open-source intelligence tracker OSINTdefender. The Justice Department confirmed the breach was authentic, according to Reuters. The Iran-linked hackers shared a blend of personal and work emails dating between 2010 and 2019. The breach did not appear to include sensitive files, though the Handala group made that claim, according to Reuters.

Handala Hack is a name used by actors linked to Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security, according to the Justice Department. The department recently seized and removed several Handala Hack web domains, leaving the group to post the latest hacked files to its Telegram channel.

Who else did Handala Hack threaten on Thursday? The group said it obtained full personal information of 28 American Lockheed Martin employees working in the Middle East and involved in military projects, according to Cyber Daily. Handala threatened to target their homes and families, including with missiles, if they did not leave their work within 48 hours. Lockheed Martin told Cyber Daily it was aware of the reports but confident in its security.

The Handala group also recently published the names and personal identifying information of 190 people associated with the Israeli government or military, according to the Department of Justice.

Dig deeper: Read my report on the Justice Department’s takedown of Handala websites.