New Delhi: Iran-linked hackers have breached the personal email account of Kash Patel, exposing photographs and a cache of messages online, in what officials describe as a targeted but limited cyber incident. The attack was attributed to a group known as the Handala Hack Team, which posted pictures and samples of the emails that seem to date back to almost 10 years.
The intrusion was confirmed on Friday by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which said that the leaked material was historical in nature and it did not deal with classified or government systems. Spokesperson Ben Williamson added that the agency had made measures to contain any risks, according to Reuters.
Hackers publish photos and email samples
Handala pblished a series of personal shots of Patel in informal scenes and over 300 emails. The messages seem to contain both personal and professional letters that are dated from 2010 to 2019. Reuters was not in a position to confirm the authenticity of the e-mails independently.
The hacked account is said to be an individual Gmail account. Google, the company that runs Gmail, did not comment on the requests. District 4 Labs, a cyber intelligence company, reported that the email address was used in previous data breaches.
Iran-linked cyber activity intensifies
Security experts claim that Handala is generally seen as a cover under Iranian cyber activities. Recently, the group has been credited with committing other attacks, such as an attack on Stryker, and claimed data leaks of Lockheed Martin employees.
Gil Messing of Check Point Software Technologies says these types of attacks are made to embarrass an official and make them feel insecure. The exercise is in the backdrop of increasing geopolitical tensions after recent activities of the US and Israel in relation to Iran.
Pattern of targeting personal accounts
Cybersecurity researchers point out that personal email accounts of top officials often are targeted because they do not have as strong a defence as official systems. Equivalent cases have happened in the past that include the hacking of the Gmail account of John Podesta prior to the 2016 US election and the intrusion of the AOL account of John Brennan in 2015.
Authorities are concerned that even though the recent breach may not be that extensive, the methods can be employed to conduct campaigns of influence or reputational harm. Enquiries into the incident are still going on.