Friend of Alleged FBI Data Breach Suspect Details Efforts to Discourage Cyber Attack

By Raphael Satter

WASHINGTON, Oct 9 (Reuters) – A friend of the individual accused of stealing a vast repository of personal data from the FBI revealed that he repeatedly warned the teenager against conducting the cyber intrusion.

Adem El Adeb, 19, stated to Reuters that he attempted to persuade Saifal-Din Khader to abandon his efforts, emphasizing that penetrating the FBI would expose the youth to severe consequences from the U.S. government. Despite these warnings, Khader proceeded with the operation.

“You’re suicidal,” El Adeb recounted from a September message exchange, recalling how he cautioned Khader that his actions were reckless. “I called him crazy and told him to back off. Not just once—I persistently advised him to stop,” El Adeb said.

The breach, attributed to the ShinyHunters hacking collective with Khader as a central figure, has significantly disrupted the FBI’s operations. The agency has not provided additional details, though a source indicated the compromised data may include information on all employees.

The FBI has not responded to inquiries about El Adeb’s account. Authorities are actively investigating the incident linked to the group.

Khader, identified as “Rey” in hacker circles, was detained in Jordan on September 29 and is reportedly collaborating with U.S. investigators. Reuters has been unable to contact Khader or his representatives.

El Adeb, formerly known as “Pryx,” was previously associated with the Hellcat hacking group, which emerged in 2024. Hellcat claimed responsibility for attacks on international targets, including a ransomware incident at France’s Schneider Electric demanding baguettes as payment. Israeli cybersecurity firm Kela connected Pryx and Khader to these activities through shared infrastructure and communication channels, as well as their work on a security platform called Pato.

El Adeb confirmed his identity as Pryx via a video interview conducted in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, where he disclosed his transition from cybercrime to cybersecurity entrepreneurship. He now co-founds VulOne, a cybersecurity firm, and stated, “I’m clean now.”

Born in Tunisia and raised in the UAE, El Adeb and Khader met as children online, initially engaging in website vandalism to express political views aligned with the Palestinian cause. “We thought it was cool when we were kids,” El Adeb said, describing how their early hacktivism evolved into financially motivated cybercrime. He characterized the group’s tactics as “trolling” and declined to specify earnings from their operations.

While El Adeb asserts his departure from cybercrime, his claims remain partially unverified. His statements align with Kela’s analysis and public interviews he conducted under his hacker alias. Reuters could not independently validate his entire narrative.

The article also references Pepijn van der Stap, another alleged ShinyHunters member who similarly claimed to have abandoned hacking before his arrest in the Netherlands on charges including attempted murder.

Despite his past, El Adeb expressed pride in his cybersecurity experience, stating, “I’m actually very happy and proud that I had actual cybercrime experience in a field full of people who claim they know stuff but never actually experienced real hacking.”

(Reporting by Raphael Satter; Editing by William Mallard)

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