FBI Says Director Kash Patel’s Personal Email Hacked, No Government Data Compromised
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) confirmed that FBI Director Kash Patel’s personal Gmail account was hacked and that some personal information was accessed.
In a statement, the FBI said it’s "aware of malicious actors targeting" Director Patel's personal email information and it has "taken all necessary steps to mitigate potential risks associated with this activity." The FBI said information accessed "is historical in nature and involves no government information."
An Iranian-linked hacking group known as Handala HackTeam claimed responsibility for the breach. It comes shortly after the Department of Justice (DOJ) seized four domains connected to Handala as part of an ongoing operation to target cybercrimes coming from Iran. The hacking group noted the seizures on its website and said it breached Director Patel’s accounts in retaliation.
In March, Handala also claimed responsibility for a cyberattack against U.S. medical-device company Stryker.
The federal government is offering a $10 million reward for information about hacking groups from Iran, including Handala.
Cyber Concerns Mount
The incident comes amid broader concerns about U.S. cybersecurity readiness, particularly as the military conflict with Iran continues and staffing shortages affect key cyber agencies during the DHS shutdown.
"Diminishing of resources here on cybersecurity at this particular juncture is absolutely dangerous," Dr. Frederic Lemieux, Georgetown University professor of cybersecurity risk management told ABC News. "In a conflict with a known enemy that uses cyber weapons to, you know, like to inflict damage on its opponents, I think that it will be tested, that's for sure.”
About 60 percent of the employees at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) are currently on furlough due to the lapse in appropriations.
CISA Acting Director Nick Andersen told the House Homeland Security Committee that the agency is also losing workers.
“In a single day, just a couple of weeks ago, we received six resignation notices from the highly technical subject matter experts we have in places like our threat [hunting team],” said Acting Director Andersen. “That’s not a sustainable model going forward.”
