Already a subscriber? Make sure to log into your account before viewing this content. You can access your account by hitting the “login” button on the top right corner. Still unable to see the content after signing in? Make sure your card on file is up-to-date.

An Iranian hacker group has claimed to have exposed the personal details of 50 senior officers from an elite Israeli intelligence unit.

Getting into it: Handala, an Iranian state-linked hacker group, said it conducted a cyber campaign targeting Unit 9900, a top-tier Israeli military intelligence division focused on geospatial data collection and analysis, including the use of satellite imagery, drone-based monitoring, and advanced terrain modeling. According to the group, the operation expanded over months and employed sophisticated cyber intrusion techniques to identify and extract sensitive personnel data tied to the unit’s leadership and operational structure.

The group claims it released identifying information on roughly 50 senior officers, including individuals allegedly involved in intelligence processing, strike planning, and mission coordination. While the full scope of the leaked data has not been independently verified, Handala framed the release as unprecedented, describing it as one of the largest known exposures of senior personnel tied to Unit 9900.

As of now, Israel has not publicly confirmed or denied the breach, and there has been no official acknowledgment from the Israeli military regarding the alleged exposure.

This all comes amid a broader pattern of cyber activity linked to Handala, including operations targeting US-based companies, where the group claimed it carried out a disruptive cyberattack against systems tied to Stryker Corporation, impacting devices and internal operations. The group has also been tied to a breach of FBI Director Kash Patel’s personal email, where it accessed and released emails and photos from his private account online.