The DOJ declared that the department has shut down four Iranian government-linked groups’ websites used for threatening US tech companies. The websites were used to post hacked information and threaten US tech companies. These are the same domains that took credit for hacking a Michigan medical technology company last week.
According to the DOJ website, the court-authorized domain seizure was part of a plan to prevent hacking and digital ransomware demands. The four websites include Justicehomeland[.]org, Handala-Hack[.]to, Karmabelow80[.]org, and Handala-Redwanted[.]to. It was the Handala website that took credit for using destructive malware to threaten the medical tech firm.
Justice Department Disrupts Iranian Cyber Enabled Psychological Operations
“Terrorist propaganda online can incite real-world violence — thanks to our National Security Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, this network of Iranian-backed sites… pic.twitter.com/hHsp2QlWN4
— U.S. Department of Justice (@TheJusticeDept) March 19, 2026
The websites Handala, Homeland Justice, and Karma Below were all linked to Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security. The DOJ’s move comes amid tensions between the US and Iran, taking measures to prevent misinformation and cyberattacks. One such incident happened last week when medical technology company Stryker reported a cyberattack that disrupted its global network.
Cybersecurity expert Brian Krebs wrote that Handala claimed responsibility for the attack on Stryker. The attack ended up erasing 200,000 systems, servers, and mobile devices, impacting offices in 79 countries.
This was their response to the bombing of a girls’ school in Iran, blaming the US for it. Meanwhile, the US claimed it was an internal attack. On the other hand, Iran did not have the missiles used for the attack, contradicting the claims.
Handala also shared personal information of the Hasidic Jewish community and emailed death threats to Iranian dissidents and journalists. Another website linked with Homeland Justice claimed a role in a 2022 hack against the Albanian government.
The FBI appears to have seized the website of an Iran-linked hacker group that claimed responsibility for the only known significant cyberattack on a U.S. company since war between the countries started in February. https://t.co/RHQmg2hv3f
— NBC News (@NBCNews) March 19, 2026
Attorney General Pam Bondi stated, “Terrorist propaganda online can incite real-world violence — thanks to our National Security Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, this network of Iranian-backed sites will no longer broadcast anti-American hate. Our cyber assets will remain ever-vigilant to root out and deactivate networks that pose a threat to American citizens.”
This operation was a long time coming for these websites, as US authorities had warned against Iranian state-sponsored hacking. It became imperative to shut them down, considering last week’s attack.
FBI Director Kash Patel stated, “Iran thought they could hide behind fake websites and keyboard threats to terrorize Americans and silence dissidents. We took down four of their operation’s pillars, and we’re not done.”
