China’s Ministry of State Security has accused the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) of carrying out cyberattacks on its National Time Service Center (NTSC). It claims that in 2022 the NSA exploited vulnerabilities in the messaging services of an unnamed foreign mobile phone brand to steal information from the devices of the center’s employees.
In a message published on WeChat, China’s Ministry of State Security states that the NSA used 42 types of “cyber weapons” against several of the center’s internal network systems and used stolen employee credentials, repeatedly infiltrating the key time synchronization system between 2023 and 2024.
The Chinese side claims it has evidence of these attacks, but no such evidence is provided in the publication.
It is emphasized that the National Time Service Center maintains unified Beijing Time and synchronizes systems across the country, participates in shaping international time standards, and provides synchronization services for industries such as telecommunications, finance, energy, transportation, and defense. As a result, the potential damage from cyberattacks could disrupt network communications, financial systems, and power supply.
“The United States accuses others of what it does itself, constantly hyping up rumors about Chinese cyber threats,” the statement said.