The U.S. will pay $10 million for information on the Iranian hackers who hacked the FBI director's email
The U.S. Department of State, as part of the Rewards for Justice program, has offered a reward for information leading to the identification of Iranian cybercriminals responsible for hacking the personal email account of FBI Director Kash Patel.
An official announcement released on March 27 calls for any information regarding the hacking groups “Parsian Afzar,” “Ryan,” “Borna,” and “Khandala.” U.S. authorities are seeking the names, online aliases, and exact locations of individuals involved in attacks on critical infrastructure and high-ranking U.S. officials.
The hacking of the FBI director’s email occurred amid the ongoing military conflict between the U.S. and Iran, which has significantly escalated tensions in cyberspace. Washington views the actions of Iranian groups as a direct threat to national security and an attempt to destabilize government institutions. In addition to the leak of Kash Patel’s personal data, Iranian hackers are suspected of attempting to interfere with the energy and logistics systems of U.S. allies. The Rewards for Justice program guarantees complete confidentiality to informants who help stop the malicious activities of these groups.
As a reminder, Iranian hackers breached FBI Director Kash Patel’s personal email and posted correspondence and personal data from 2010–2019 online. The Handala Hack Team claimed responsibility for the attack.
Russian hackers launched a large-scale cyber operation aimed at hijacking user profiles on the popular messaging apps Signal and WhatsApp.
