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Iran-linked Handala group claims to have published material taken from its account; FBI says no government data compromised
The FBI has confirmed that cyber actors have targeted the personal email of its director, Kash Patel, hours after a group of hackers linked to Iran published materials online claiming to have stolen them.
In an official statement, the FBI said it was “aware of malicious actors targeting Director Patel’s personal email information” and that measures were being taken to limit the potential risks. The agency stressed that the compromised information was “historical in nature” and did not include government data.
The hacker group "Handala" published documents and images on the Telegram platform that allegedly belong to Patel. Most of the emails date from 2012-2014, while at least one is from 2022. The published materials include personal photos and a document that appears to be a CV.
In a previous post, the group also claimed to have infiltrated an FBI network, but without providing additional evidence or details for this claim.
The Justice Department has linked the Handala group to Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and offered a $10 million reward for information leading to the identification of its members. Recently, US authorities have also linked the group to a cyberattack on the medical device company Stryker, which reportedly wiped out about 200,000 devices and leaked sensitive data.
The group also claimed to have obtained data on employees of defense contractor Lockheed Martin, although the company stated that there is no evidence of impact on its systems or operations.
A Justice Department official, quoted by Politico on condition of anonymity, said the materials released about Patel appear authentic, but did not provide further details.
The incident comes at a time of heightened tensions, with cyber activity linked to Iran seen as part of an effort to target the United States and its allies. It also marks the second time in recent weeks that FBI officials or officials have been targeted by cyberattacks.
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