Have Iran-backed hackers leaked personal data of over 2,000 US Marines?

Iran-backed hackers have reportedly leaked personal data of thousands of US Marines. The US war department has launched a probe into the leak, and according to initial findings, some of the leaked data is authentic, several media outlets reported, citing the Wall Street Journal.

On Monday (April 27), an Iranian-linked cyberattack group known as Handala Hack sent threatening messages to US service members assigned to units in West Asia. The Handala group said on its Telegram channel that it had published the names and details of 2,379 personnel stationed in the Persian Gulf.

Handala Hack leaks personal data of over 2000 US Marines

The messages sent to service members warned them that they were under constant "surveillance" and also threatened to attack them with drones and missiles, Iraq-based Shafaq News reported.

The group further asserted that it had access to deeper data, including family details, home addresses, and even information on daily routines and troop movements. It further signalled that additional revelations could follow.

More from Explainers

How Iran’s Handala hackers are using Elon Musk’s Starlink for cyberattacks amid internet blackout

Fact check: Is FBI director Kash Patel dancing to Bollywood song in viral video?

The text read, “Your identities are fully known to our missile units, and every move you make is under our surveillance."

“Very soon, you will be targeted by our Shahed drones and Kheibar and Ghadeer missiles. We will deal with you, the terrorists whose hands are stained with the blood of the Minab schoolchildren. We suggest you call your families now and say your final goodbyes," Stars and Stripes reported.

US war department launches probe

The incident has sparked serious concerns within the US defence establishment due to the risks associated with exposing the identities and locations of military.

Authorities are now determining the scale of the breach and examining its implications on operational security.

Investigators are likely to concentrate on how the information was accessed and whether other systems were compromised.

About the Handala Hacker group

Handala Hack is a well-known hacking group in the cybersecurity domain and has previously been linked to attempts to breach US and Israeli organisations.

The same group openly claimed responsibility for hacking FBI Director Kash Patel's personal inbox last month. The group even branded Patel one of their “successfully hacked victims", leaking a trove of personal contents from the FBI director’s emails.

Although Handala portrays itself as a pro-Palestinian collective, according to the Department of Justice, it has long functioned as a front for Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security.

Last month, the department seized four web domains connected to the group, alleging they were used to publish personally identifiable information and target individuals in the US and abroad, Stars and Stripes reported.

The group has a history of issuing threatening messages to Iranian adversaries. According to The Jerusalem Post, similar messages were sent to Israelis nationwide on Monday (April 27), which authorities believe were linked to the same organisation.

With inputs from agencies