š° Full Story
Iran-linked hackers claiming the Handala Hack Team said on March 27-28, 2026 that they breached the personal Gmail account of FBI Director Kash Patel and published photographs, a resume and a sample of more than 300 emails online.
The FBI confirmed it was "aware of malicious actors targeting Director Patel's personal email information," said steps had been taken to mitigate risks, and described the data as historical and not involving government systems.
Independent analysis by some outlets, including TechCrunch, verified portions of the cache via message headers and cryptographic signatures; metadata shows most material dates from roughly 2010ā2019 with some items to 2022.
U.S. authorities say the Handala persona is tied to Iran-linked cyber units and noted the group previously claimed a destructive March attack on medical-device maker Stryker.
The U.S. State Department's Rewards for Justice programme is offering up to $10 million for information leading to Handala members; U.S. law enforcement seized several Handala-linked domains on March 19.
Handala also posted broader threats and bounty claims online, which have not been independently verified.
š Based On
Euronews | Latest breaking news available as free video on demandPro-Iran group claims hack of FBI directorās personal email account
š¤ Social Media Insights
Context
Security firms including Check Point Research track Handala under several aliases ā Void Manticore, Banished Kitten, Storm-0842 and Red Sandstorm ā linking the persona to Iran's Ministry of Intelligence.






š¬ Commentary