Iranian-Linked Hackers Leak Personal Emails and Photos of FBI Director Kash Patel

Washington D.C. A group of hackers linked to Iran has hacked the personal email of FBI Director Kash Patel, making private photos and documents found there public on the internet. The group, calling itself the 'Hondala Hack Team,' claimed that Patel's name is now on their list of victims and posted various photos on his website.

The publicly released photos show Patel smoking cigarettes, riding in an old car, and taking a selfie in front of a mirror next to a bottle of rum. The FBI confirmed that Patel's email was hacked and stated that necessary steps have been taken to mitigate any potential risks arising from it.

Bureau spokesperson Bill Williamson claimed that the hacked data is old and does not contain any secret or sensitive government information. The hackers have published samples of about 300 emails spanning from 2010 to 2019, which include Patel's personal and work-related correspondence.

Western researchers consider Hondala to be part of the Iranian government's cyber intelligence unit. This group has recently been targeting various companies and officials connected to the United States and Israel.

This group recently claimed to have also published the details of employees from Stryker, a medical device provider, and Lockheed Martin, one of the world's largest defense contractors.

According to Gil Messing of the Israeli cybersecurity company Check Point, the main objective of such hacks is to embarrass high-ranking US officials and make them feel insecure. Iranian hackers have significantly increased their cyber activity since the US and Israel began launching attacks on Iran.

Previously, incidents such as the hacking of the then-CIA chief's email in 2015 and the chairman of Hillary Clinton's election campaign in 2016 also gained attention.