U.S. sets $10m bounty on Iran-linked hackers after FBI chief's email breached
'This is just our beginning,' the Handa cyber group said in a statement . 'If your director can be compromised this easily, what do you expect from your lower-level employees'
Iran-linked hackers have broken into FBI Director Kash Patel's personal email inbox, publishing photographs of the director and other documents to the internet, the hackers and the bureau said on Friday.
The announcement was followed by a post on the X account of the U.S. Department of State’s Rewards for Justice program, setting a $10 million award for anyone possessing "information on Iranian malicious cyber actors, such as Parsian Afzar Rayan Borna, Handala, or associated groups or individuals."
https://x.com/i/web/status/2037587441482105045
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On their website, the hacker group Handala Hack Team shared Patel's purported resume and personal photos along with a statement that reads: "This is just our beginning." Patel "will now find his name among the list of successfully hacked victims."
"If your director can be compromised this easily, what do you expect from your lower-level employees," the message further read.
The series of photos of Patel published by the hacker group includes ones showing him sniffing and smoking cigars, riding in an antique convertible, and making a face while taking a picture of himself in the mirror with a bottle of rum.
The FBI confirmed that Patel's emails had been targeted. In a statement, bureau spokesman Ben Williamson said, "we have taken all necessary steps to mitigate potential risks associated with this activity" and that the data involved was "historical in nature and involves no government information."