Adversary Operations — 2026-03-31

MOIS-Linked Handala Hackers Leak Former Mossad Chief Pardo Emails in Escalating Cyber Campaign Against IC Leaders

Iran-linked hacking group Handala published content from the personal Gmail inbox of former Mossad director Tamir Pardo on March 30, the latest in a string of cyber operations targeting intelligence leadership in both the US and Israel. The breach follows the group's March 27 hack of FBI Director Patel's personal email and its March 11 wiper attack on Stryker that disabled 200,000 devices. The DOJ has formally attributed Handala to Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security. The FBI is offering $10 million for information leading to identification of the group.

Analysis
Handala's simultaneous targeting of the sitting FBI Director and a former Mossad chief represents MOIS escalating from infrastructure attacks to personal intelligence targeting of senior IC leadership. The $10 million FBI reward signals the Bureau treats this as a top-tier national security threat, not routine hacktivism. The group's resilience, rebuilding operations within 24 hours of FBI domain seizures, suggests state-level infrastructure support inconsistent with a hacktivist persona.

1 sources

Business and Letter to CIA Chief: Iran Leaks ex-Mossad Heads Emails - Haaretz