Iran-linked hackers claim breach of FBI director's personal email; DOJ official confirms break-in
PHOTO CAPTION: Illustrative file photo — FBI Director Kash Patel announces the apprehension of Ryan Wedding, a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder who was on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitive list, during a press conference in Ontario, California, U.S., January 23, 2026. (REUTERS/Mike Blake)
By Jana Winter and AJ Vicens (Reuters)
WASHINGTON - Iran-linked hackers have publicly claimed the breach of FBI Director Kash Patel's personal inbox, publishing photographs of the director and his purported resume to the internet.
On their website, the hacker group Handala Hack Team said Patel "will now find his name among the list of successfully hacked victims."
Reuters was not able to immediately authenticate the emails published by Hanadala, but a sample of the material uploaded by the hackers and reviewed by Reuters appears to show a mix of personal and work correspondence dating between 2010 and 2019.
A Justice Department official confirmed to Reuters that Patel's emails were compromised but did not go into detail. The FBI did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The hackers did not immediately respond to messages.
(Reporting by Raphael Satter, editing by Deepa Babington // REUTERS)
