China Accuses NSA of Cyberattacks During Asian Winter Games
BEIJING: Authorities in the northeastern Chinese city of Harbin have accused the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) of launching sophisticated cyberattacks on key sectors during the Asian Winter Games held in February.
According to China’s state-run news agency Xinhua, local police claimed that institutions such as Virginia Tech and the University of California were involved in the operation. Chinese authorities have also named three individuals—Katheryn A. Wilson, Robert J. Snelling, and Stephen W. Johnson—as suspected NSA operatives and placed them on a national wanted list.
The three are accused of conducting repeated cyberattacks targeting China’s critical infrastructure, including tech giant Huawei and other major firms.
The U.S. Embassy in China has not yet issued a response to these claims.
These accusations surface amid escalating tensions between the U.S. and China, marked by ongoing trade disputes, travel advisories for Chinese nationals visiting the U.S., and a pause in Hollywood film imports to China.
Xinhua, citing Harbin’s public security bureau, said the alleged cyberattacks targeted sectors such as energy, transportation, telecommunications, water systems, and national defense research institutions in Heilongjiang province. The reported aim was to disrupt essential infrastructure, provoke social instability, and obtain classified data.
Backdoor Exploitation During Games
Chinese investigators allege that the NSA exploited vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows operating systems by activating pre-installed backdoors on selected devices during the event.
To mask their operations, the agency reportedly bought IP addresses from multiple countries and used rented servers across Europe and Asia. These tactics were intended to anonymize the NSA’s digital footprint.
The cyber intrusions reportedly escalated on February 3, during the opening ice hockey match, targeting systems like the Asian Winter Games registration database. These systems contained sensitive personal data of participating athletes and staff.
While the U.S. frequently accuses China of state-sponsored hacking activities, including attacks on American government and infrastructure systems, Beijing has consistently denied such claims.
In a recent move, the U.S. announced charges against a group of alleged Chinese hackers for targeting American intelligence and commerce departments, as well as foreign ministries in countries such as Taiwan, India, Indonesia, and South Korea.
China, in turn, has ramped up its own cyber-espionage claims against the U.S. In December, Beijing reported uncovering two major cyberattacks by U.S. actors aimed at stealing trade secrets from Chinese tech firms since mid-2023, though it withheld the names of the responsible agencies.
