Beijing says it has “irrefutable evidence” that the U.S. NSA has been attacking its National Time Service Center since 2022

China says it has “irrefutable evidence” that the U.S. NSA has been attacking its National Time Service Center since 2022. Beijing claims that the U.S. sicced its spy agency to hack its timekeeping system.

China’s Ministry of State Security claims to have proof that the U.S. launched cyberattacks against its time center. The ministry posted a statement on its WeChat claiming that it has clear proof that the NSA hacked the center in Xi’an. This center controls China’s official time system. It provides exact time information to the government and businesses.

China accuses U.S. of hacking time center

China’s Ministry of State Security says the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) carried out cyberattacks against China’s National Time Service Center (NTSC). China claims the U.S. hacked mobile phones and computers at the center.

The NTSC, located in Shaanxi province in northwest China, keeps the country’s clocks accurate. It synchronizes time across China and helps set world time standards. The ministry says the U.S. attacks targeting the center’s computers and data threatened its security.

The attacks reportedly started on March 25, 2022. The NSA supposedly used security vulnerabilities in NTSC workers’ phones to steal private information from their devices.

Starting April 18, 2023, the ministry says the NSA used stolen passwords to break into the center’s computer systems.

The Ministry of State Security says investigators tracked the attacks to private computer servers in different countries that hid where the attacks really came from. China has since added stronger security at the time center to stop future attacks.

China rejects Western hacking claims

For years, Western governments and security companies have blamed Chinese hackers for attacking systems, companies, and infrastructure in the U.S., Europe, and Asia.

The U.S. has charged several Chinese nationals with hacking linked to China’s Ministry of State Security, which Washington accuses of stealing trade secrets and data from American companies. China denies the claims and instead alleges that the U.S. conducts global spying and hacking operations.

The Ministry of State Security says the National Time Service Center is extremely important to China. It’s critical for “government work, science, and business.”

China did not share technical details or computer evidence to back up its claims, but it did say that the NSA used middleman servers and secret channels to hide where the attacks came from.

The ministry also noted a similarity in the NSA’s actions and other attacks found at Chinese organizations. China says it “opposes all cyberattacks” and wants all countries to “follow international rules” online.