An Iran-linked hacker group often known as Handala says it breached FBI surveillance drones and threatened the 2026 World Cup, the SITE Intelligence Group revealed.
The warning lands days right into a match already guarded by heavy federal safety, and it names staff buses as a potential goal.
Who’s Handala, the Iranian Hactivist Group?
Handala presents itself as a pro-Palestinian hacktivist collective. Nevertheless, US officers and Western researchers assess it as a entrance for Iranian intelligence.
The group has focused Israeli-linked entities and different international locations since December 2023. Its exercise sharpened after US-Israeli strikes on Tehran in February.
In March, Handala claimed it had hacked the e-mail of FBI Director Kash Patel. It then revealed private images and different materials.
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The Drone Risk and a Disputed Declare
Handala mentioned within the assertion quoted by The SITE Intelligence Group that it had entry “for months” to footage from first-person view (FPV) drones utilized by the FBI.
The drones run facial recognition and license plate checks for counterterrorism. The group issued a direct warning.
“Higher tighten your World Cup safety, we don’t like a few of these groups in any respect. Don’t overlook: FPVs are in all places; you by no means know when one may find yourself proper in your staff’s bus,” Handala mentioned.
Nevertheless, SITE questioned the group’s proof. It discovered that one supposed hack video got here from a software program agency’s December 2024 promotion.
The State Division is providing as much as $10 million for info resulting in the identification of Handala members. The reward reveals how severely Washington treats the group.
The FIFA World Cup match runs by way of July 19 throughout 16 cities. Whether or not the risk proves actual or not, it raises the safety stakes for an occasion watched by billions.
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