Based Apparel website taken offline following hacking reports

The merchandise website for Based Apparel, an e-commerce brand owned by FBI director Kash Patel, was taken offline on Friday following reports that the platform had been compromised. According to a report by Straight Arrow News, the website was taken offline after reports that it had been hijacked by hackers trying to infect visitors with malware. As of Friday, the retail website remained completely offline.

The disruption first came to light on Thursday, when an X user who goes by Debbie posted that the brand’s website apparently had malware on it, in particular an infostealer, a type of malicious software designed to infect victims and steal their credentials and passwords. A security researcher subsequently analyzed the malicious software found on the platform. Inquiries regarding the incident went unanswered; Based Apparel could not be reached for comment, and emails sent to an address previously associated with Patel did not receive a response.

This security incident occurred alongside a separate, confirmed data exposure at Trump Mobile, a cell phone provider. On Friday, Trump Mobile confirmed that the company left customers’ personal information exposed online. The exposed data included sensitive customer details such as names, email addresses, and mailing addresses. The confirmation from the mobile provider came several days after a security researcher alerted two YouTubers, who had purchased a Trump Mobile phone, that their personal data was openly exposed on the internet.

While the security failure at Trump Mobile has been officially confirmed by the company, the situation at Based Apparel currently rests on reports of a hijacking and user observations of malware. Together, the two events represent a highly challenging period for the digital security of business operations connected to high-profile political figures.

Why it matters

The incident at Based Apparel, coupled with a data exposure at Trump Mobile, highlights a challenging week for the cybersecurity of high-profile, MAGA-associated business ventures.