China Claims US NSA Conducted Multi-Year Cyberattacks on National Time Center

China's Ministry of State Security (MSS) has accused the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) of conducting a prolonged cyberattack on China's National Time Service Center (NTSC), a key institution responsible for maintaining Beijing Time, vital to numerous sectors including finance, transportation, and national defense. The MSS alleges that the NSA exploited vulnerabilities in foreign mobile phone messaging systems to hack NTSC staff devices starting in 2022, then used stolen credentials to infiltrate NTSC computer systems repeatedly through mid-2024, employing 42 different cyber weapons and masking attacks via VPNs and servers in various countries. Chinese authorities warn that disruptions to the NTSC could have caused severe chaos such as transportation paralysis, power grid failures, and aerospace launch problems. The MSS claims to have thwarted these attacks, blamed the U.S. for cyber hegemony and destabilizing cyberspace, and urged vigilance against foreign cyber threats. The NSA has neither confirmed nor denied these allegations but stated its mission is to protect American interests from foreign threats. This incident exemplifies the ongoing digital tensions and mutual accusations of cyber espionage between China and the U.S.