US authorities seize domains of Iranian hackers who stole info from former PM Bennett

The US Justice Department says it seized four internet domains that were used by an Iran-backed hacking group that previously leaked data it stole from former prime minister Naftali Bennett and a close aide to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Justicehomeland, Handala-Hack, Karmabelow80, and Handala-Redwanted were used by Iran for “attempted psychological operations targeting adversaries of the regime by claiming credit for hacking activity, posting sensitive data stolen during such hacks, and calling for the killing of journalists, regime dissidents, and Israeli persons,” the Justice Department says.

According to US authorities, in recent weeks the Handala group had claimed to leak personal details of Israel Defense Forces personnel or others associated with the military. It also claimed to have stolen nearly a terabyte of information from the Sanzer Hasidic sect, including what it called “documents of financial cooperation, witchcraft ceremonies, and secret correspondences with Netanyahu.”

Last week, the group claimed responsibility for a sweeping cyberattack on US medical technology giant Stryker, saying it wiped more than 200,000 systems and extracted 50 terabytes of data in retaliation for military strikes on Iran.

In December, the Handala group said it had hacked the phone of Bennett, who is considered the most credible challenger to Netanyahu in this year’s elections. Bennett confirmed the data breach but said his phone had not been accessed. Handala also claimed to have broken into the phones of former justice minister Ayelet Shaked and Netanyahu’s chief of staff Tzachi Braverman, posting details on a now-seized domain.