China Claims Cyberattack by NSA During Winter Games
China has accused the United States’ National Security Agency (NSA) of conducting “sophisticated” cyberattacks during the Asian Winter Games held in February, according to a report by Reuters.
Citing an investigation by local police in the northeastern city of Harbin, Chinese state news agency Xinhua revealed the names of three alleged NSA agents—Catherine A. Wilson, Robert J. Snelling, and Stephen W. Johnson—accusing them of targeting China’s critical information infrastructure, including technology giant Huawei and other organizations.
Chinese authorities claimed that the attacks involved the participation of the University of California and Virginia Tech, and that key sectors such as energy, communications, transportation, and defense research were targeted in the operation.
According to Xinhua, the NSA allegedly activated backdoors embedded in Microsoft Windows and used IP addresses from various countries to disguise their identity while renting servers across Europe and Asia.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it has formally raised the matter with the United States.
