Iran-linked hackers claimed to have accessed FBI Director Kash Patel’s personal Gmail account and posted photos and his resume online, reports said on Friday. A group called Handala Hack Team, which federal investigators say is associated with Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security, posted pictures of Patel smoking a cigar, posing next to a vintage convertible and holding a large bottle of Havana Club rum.
Reuters, The Wall Street Journal and other media outlets reported the breach last weekend.
The FBI said in a statement to the Journal that it was aware of “malicious actors” targeting Patel’s information and had taken precautions to address potential risks.
“The information in question is historical in nature and involves no government information,” an FBI representative said in a statement quoted by the newspaper. The State Department offered a $10 million reward for “information leading to the identification of the Handala Hack Team out of Iran.” The DOJ and FBI did not respond to requests for comment.
The US and Israel launched missile attacks at Iran on Feb. 28, starting an escalating war that has caused chaos in global financial markets and caused oil prices to skyrocket.
Handala Hack Team claimed responsibility for releasing over 300 emails and photos, saying the leak was in retaliation for federal agencies accusing the group of “psychological operations” and seizing several of its websites. Handala also claimed responsibility for a separate security breach at medical systems company Stryker on March 12.
In 2018, Google warned US senators that foreign hackers had been targeting their personal Gmail accounts, while the company also removed several Iranian and Russian YouTube accounts, which it said were part of an “influence operation.”
The latest hack is part of a broader trend in tech security, where relatively simple operations can generate dramatic headlines. The goal of attacks like these is less about gathering intelligence than causing embarrassment. Reliance on digital storage can turn even routine data, such as resumes and photos, into targets.
Just last week, Patel admitted in a Senate hearing that the FBI buys data that could be used to track Americans without a warrant.
