China alleges that it was targeted withy cyber-attack by US
(MENAFN) China has accused the United States’ National Security Agency (NSA) of orchestrating a large-scale cyberattack that allegedly targeted the country’s official timekeeping institution over a multi-year period.
In a statement released on its official social media account, China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) claimed it had “obtained irrefutable evidence” that the NSA infiltrated the National Time Service Center—an agency responsible for maintaining and broadcasting the nation’s standard “Beijing Time.” According to the ministry, the operation began in March 2022 with the goal of stealing classified information and conducting cyber sabotage.
The MSS emphasized that the targeted center plays a crucial role in maintaining synchronized time across key national sectors, including finance, energy, transport, and defense. A disruption to the system, the statement warned, could have caused severe instability across markets, supply chains, and essential services.
According to the ministry’s account, the NSA initially exploited vulnerabilities in foreign-manufactured mobile phones used by several staff members to gain entry into the network and extract sensitive data. By April 2023, the attackers allegedly began using stolen login credentials to access the facility’s systems—an intrusion that intensified between August 2023 and June 2024.
The MSS further asserted that the U.S. agency employed 42 specialized cyber tools throughout the operation and utilized virtual private servers located across the U.S., Europe, and Asia to conceal the true origin of the attacks.
The statement accused Washington of “aggressively pursuing cyber-hegemony” and “repeatedly trampling on international norms governing cyberspace.” It added that American intelligence agencies “have acted recklessly, continuously carrying out cyberattacks targeting China, Southeast Asia, Europe, and South America.”
Beijing and Washington have for years exchanged mutual accusations of cyber espionage, with both sides claiming to be the target of state-backed hacking campaigns. The ongoing tit-for-tat allegations mirror broader tensions between the two powers, including economic disputes and a long-running trade conflict.
Earlier this year, reports from U.S. media alleged that Chinese hackers had breached the U.S.
Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in December. Responding to those claims, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning dismissed them as “unfounded.”
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