A group of hackers linked to the Iranian government claimed to have hacked the private e-mail of FBI director Kash Patel. A CNN report confirmed that hackers had leaked personal photos and documents from Patel’s account on social media.
A group called ‘Hanzala Hack Team’ has claimed responsibility for this hacking. They claimed to have hacked the FBI’s ‘impenetrable’ system. But according to cyber security researcher Ron Fabilla, this was not a government system hack, but rather a raid on an ‘old drawer’ of Patel’s personal e-mails. The stolen e-mails date from 2011 to 2022 and contain his family photos, business information and travel details.
The FBI confirmed the hacking incident and said no government or confidential information was stolen. The agency has announced a $10 million reward for identifying or providing information on the hackers. The FBI said in a statement, “We are aware of this attack targeting Director Patel’s personal e-mail and have taken the necessary steps to mitigate the potential risk.”
According to US intelligence officials, Tehran-linked hackers carried out the attack in retaliation for a series of counterattacks between Iran and Israel that began last month. Earlier in late 2024, foreign hackers targeted the personal accounts of Kash Patel and several top Trump administration officials (such as Todd Blanch and Donald Trump Jr.).
The hacker group claimed they were retaliating against a missile attack on an elementary school in Iran. 168 children were killed in that attack. The US Department of Justice believes these hackers are working directly for Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security.
For several weeks, this hacker group has disrupted the operations of various device manufacturers in the United States. Despite the US government’s attempts to seize their websites, hackers continue to use new websites to attack.
