China has leveled serious accusations against the United States National Security Agency (NSA), alleging that it orchestrated a “premeditated” cyber attack on the National Time Service Center (NTSC). This statement, issued by the Ministry of State Security (MSS) on WeChat, labels the U.S. as a “hacker empire” and claims it serves as the “greatest source of chaos in cyberspace.”
The MSS announced it had discovered “irrefutable evidence” linking the NSA to the cyber intrusion, which reportedly occurred on March 25, 2022, but was thwarted before causing any damage. The NTSC, established in 1966 under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, plays a crucial role in generating and transmitting the national time standard, known as Beijing Time.
The ministry warned that any cyberattack against such facilities would jeopardize the integrity of Beijing Time, posing risks that could lead to severe disruptions in network communications, financial systems, power supplies, and even affect transportation and space missions. It emphasized that the thwarting of this operation protected vital infrastructure from U.S. attempts to steal secrets and sabotage operations.
In detailing the alleged attack, the MSS indicated that the NSA exploited vulnerabilities in a foreign SMS service to gain access to the mobile devices of NTSC staff, facilitating the theft of sensitive information. Subsequently, on April 18 of the following year, the agency purportedly used stolen login credentials to penetrate the center’s computer systems, culminating in the deployment of a sophisticated “cyber warfare platform” between August 2023 and June 2024. This platform was said to activate 42 specialized tools to conduct high-intensity attacks targeting the NTSC’s internal networks.
The MSS disclosed that these cyber operations, executed during the late night and early morning hours Beijing time, involved the use of virtual private servers (VPS) located in the U.S., Europe, and Asia to obscure the attack’s origins. The attackers purportedly utilized techniques such as forging digital certificates and employing advanced encryption methods to erase traces of their activities.
Furthermore, the MSS accused the U.S. of engaging in sustained cyber attacks against various global regions, including China, Southeast Asia, Europe, and South America. It claimed that the U.S. employs technological positions in the Philippines, Japan, and Taiwan to facilitate these activities while masking its involvement.
In a broader context, the MSS criticized the U.S. for fostering narratives around the “China cyber threat,” suggesting that such claims are aimed at misguiding public perception and justifying actions against Chinese entities and citizens.