An Iran-linked hacker group claimed to have breached FBI surveillance drones and threatened the ongoing World Cup, which began this week, according to Arab News.
A report released Friday by the SITE Intelligence Group indicates that Handala claimed it had maintained access for months to data collected by FBI-operated first-person-view (FPV) drones.
Handala published a statement saying that they had access to “every image and every suspect” captured during the FBI operations.
“Better tighten your World Cup security, we don’t like some of those teams at all. Don’t forget: FPVs are everywhere; you never know when one might end up right in your team’s bus,” Handala said in the statement quoted by SITE.
Interestingly, the hackers alleged that the drones were supported by facial-recognition technology and license-plate identification systems used in counterterrorism operations.
Handala also released photographs and video footage that it claimed had been secured from the hacked drones. However, SITE disputed the authenticity of this claim.
Security Plans
As part of broader security measures, the FBI is deploying drones around World Cup venues to detect any unauthorized aircraft.
Moreover, U.S. authorities will enforce a ban on drone flights over World Cup stadiums and affiliated fan zones associated with the tournament, which kicked off on Thursday and is being jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
The U.S. Justice Department has warned that Iranian-linked cyber actors could launch retaliatory cyberattacks amid US-Israeli strikes on Tehran in February that triggered the Middle East War.
In March, Handala claimed responsibility for hacking the email account of FBI Director Kash Patel and subsequently published personal photographs and other materials online.
In response, the U.S. State Department has announced a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the identification or location of members of the group.
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