China accuses NSA of multi-year hack targeting its national time systems

"China's top intelligence agency on Sunday accused the U.S. National Security Agency of carrying out a yearslong cyberespionage campaign against Beijing's national time service network, among the nation's most sensitive pieces of digital infrastructure. China's Ministry of State Security said the alleged intrusion, beginning in early 2022, targeted the National Time Service Center, which generates and broadcasts China's standard time to core sectors, including telecommunications, finance, transportation and defense. Investigators allege the hackers deployed 42 "specialized cyberattack weapons" to maintain persistence and extract network data. An overseas phone provider was exploited to gain initial access, China said, without naming the specific company. From there, U.S. cyberspies were able to access staff members' mobile devices and other timekeeping systems, China further alleged."

""NSA does not confirm nor deny allegations in the media regarding its operations," an NSA official told Nextgov/FCW. "Our core focus is countering foreign malign activities persistently targeting American interests, and we will continue to defend against adversaries wishing to threaten us.""

"The NSA is a major intelligence agency under the Department of Defense that employs various hacking, codebreaking and eavesdropping capabilities to gather data on adversaries around the world. In a media statement, the U.S. embassy in Beijing said that China "is the most active and persistent cyber threat to U.S. government, private-sector and critical infrastructure networks." It did not address the specific accusations. The Chinese intelligence agency has not released forensic samples or indicators of compromise related to the National Time Service Center. It said the U.S. has "repeatedly hyped up the 'China cyber threat' theory, coercing other countries to hype up so-called 'Chinese hacker attacks,' sanctioning Chinese companies and prosecuting Chinese"

China's Ministry of State Security accused the U.S. National Security Agency of a yearslong cyberespionage campaign that targeted the National Time Service Center beginning in early 2022. The National Time Service Center generates and broadcasts China's standard time to telecommunications, finance, transportation and defense sectors. Investigators allege hackers used 42 "specialized cyberattack weapons" and exploited an overseas phone provider for initial access, then accessed staff mobile devices and other timekeeping systems. The NSA declined to confirm or deny the allegations. The U.S. embassy in Beijing called China the most active and persistent cyber threat. China has not released forensic samples or indicators of compromise.

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