The Kabul Tribune (KT) — Reuters reported that a hacking group known as “Handala,” believed to be linked to Iran, has accessed the personal email account of Kash Patel and released a collection of his private photos online.
According to the report, an Federal Bureau of Investigation
spokesperson confirmed the incident, stating that “all necessary measures have
been taken to mitigate potential risks.”
The hacking group said in a statement that Patel’s name had
been added to its list of targets, publishing images that appear to show him in
personal settings. The group also released samples of more than 300 emails,
reportedly a mix of personal and professional correspondence dating from 2010
to 2019.
Handala, which presents itself as pro-Palestinian, has been
identified by Western researchers as a cyber unit associated with the Iranian
government.
Reuters reported that cyber activities attributed to Iran
have intensified in recent weeks, following coordinated U.S. and Israeli
actions against Iran, with hackers expanding operations as tensions continue.
The report noted that breaches of personal accounts of
senior officials are not uncommon. Similar incidents have occurred in the past,
including the hacking of John Podesta’s email ahead of the 2016 U.S. election
and the 2015 breach of John Brennan’s personal account.
It added that Iran-linked hackers may possess additional
sensitive data. Last year, another group using the alias “Robert” told Reuters
it planned to release 100 gigabytes of stolen data related to individuals close
to Donald Trump, including senior aides.
