The International Business Times reports:
The breach of FBI Director Kash Patel’s personal Gmail account by an Iran-linked hacking group has prompted the US State Department’s Rewards for Justice programme to offer up to $10 million (approximately £7.8 million) for information leading to the identification of members of the Handala Hack Team, the group that publicly claimed responsibility for the attack on 28 March 2026.
The FBI confirmed the breach in a statement, saying it is ‘aware of malicious actors targeting Director Patel’s personal email information’ and that it has ‘taken all necessary steps to mitigate potential risks associated with this activity.’ The bureau also stated that ‘the information in question is historical in nature and involves no government information.’ A Justice Department official separately confirmed the breach to Reuters, which was the first outlet to report it.
Read more at The International Business Times.
Images from Director Patel’s personal account have been leaked online with Handala watermarks, as depicted in a post on X.com by “Anonymous,” below:
The incident, as well as other activities claimed by Handala, such as the attack on medical device manufacturer Stryker, have resulted in the government issuing a $10 million reward offer for information about the identities of members of Handala or other individuals who may be state-sponsored or state-employed to attack U.S. critical infrastructure.
