Hackers linked to Iran claimed to have hacked FBI drones and threatened to strike the just-started soccer World Cup, a monitoring group said Friday.
The SITE Intelligence Group, a private organization that monitors the online activity of jihadist groups, released a statement from the Handala organization claiming that it had “for months” “every image and every suspect” recorded by US federal police drones.
The hackers claim to have accessed underwater piloted drones (FPV), equipped with facial recognition and license plate reading systems, deployed by the FBI for the fight against terrorism.
“We don’t like certain teams”
“Better beef up your World Cup security, we really don’t like some of these teams. Remember: FPVs are everywhere, you never know when one might end up on your team bus,” Handala said in the statement cited by SITE.
The FBI deploys drones and bans the flights of unmanned aircraft over American stadiums hosting World Cup matches, as well as over events organized on the sidelines of the competition.
The Justice Department has already warned of the risk of cyberattacks by Iranian actors after the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Tehran in February, which sparked war in the Middle East.
Handala published photos and video footage that he claimed had been taken from the hacked drones, but SITE disputed this claim.
A video of the supposed hack was actually produced by a software platform in December 2024 to promote the use of its technology by a US police department. It was intended to monitor damage caused by a tornado, SITE said.
Handala claimed in March to have hacked into FBI Director Kash Patel’s email and posted personal photos and other documents online.
The US State Department has offered a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the identification of members of the group.
“Perhaps Kash Patel (…) should have thought twice before putting a $10 million bounty on Handala’s head,” the group reacted in its latest press release.
“He didn’t realize that we were watching him from above, through the (FBI’s) own eyes, even though he was unable to find us on the ground. And as you see, we are still alive.
Handala, one of the most active cyber hacker groups since the start of the war launched at the end of February by the United States and Israel against Iran, is considered by many cybersecurity experts to be affiliated with the Islamic Republic.
The group claimed responsibility for hacking Kash Patel’s email in “response” to the FBI’s seizure of domain names belonging to him.
His message also mentioned the “martyrs of the Dena”, the more than 80 sailors killed in the torpedoing of the Iranian frigate by an American submarine in early March, in international waters off Sri Lanka.
