Beijing: China has accused the United States of carrying out cyberattacks against Beijing’s National Time Service Center, which could cause serious damage to critical financial and telecommunications infrastructure.
The State Security Ministry said it had found “irrefutable evidence” of hacking attempts by the US National Security Agency between 2022 and 2024.
The NSA exploited a vulnerability in the messaging service of an unspecified foreign mobile phone brand to steal login credentials from Time Center employees, officials said.
The facility coordinates clocks used by computer servers, train stations and power grids across the country.
According to the ministry, these attacks could jeopardize power grids, transportation systems and even space launches.
Chinese authorities have since “broken the attack chains, upgraded protective measures and eliminated potential threats.”
“In recent years, the United States has aggressively pursued cyber hegemony, repeatedly trampling international cyberspace rules,” the ministry said.
“Ironclad evidence proves that the United States is the true ‘hacker empire’ and the biggest source of chaos in cyberspace,” the ministry said.
The allegation comes amid growing spying warnings from Beijing amid deteriorating relations with the West.
Western countries have previously accused China-backed hacker groups of carrying out global cyber espionage against critics, democratic institutions and companies in sensitive sectors.
Washington claimed last year that a Chinese state-sponsored actor was behind a cyber breach at the US Treasury Department, which Beijing called “baseless” at the time.
The ministry urged Chinese citizens to remain vigilant against foreign attacks and report suspicious activity to authorities. -AFP
