Chinese police say NSA hacked networks of Asian Winter Games

Chinese authorities accused the National Security Agency of launching attacks against networks tied to the Asian Winter Games held in February, Chinese state media reported Tuesday.

Police in Harbin, a capital city in China’s northernmost province, alleged three NSA agents working on behalf of the intelligence agency’s Tailored Access Operations — Katheryn A. Wilson, Robert J. Snelling and Stephen W. Johnson — were responsible for hacks that took place earlier this year.

“To conceal the origins of its attacks and secure its cyber weapons, the office used multiple affiliated front organizations to purchase IP addresses from various countries and anonymously rented servers located in regions including Europe and Asia,” said an article from Xinhua News Agency, China’s state-backed news service. 

The hacks “severely endangered the security of China’s critical information infrastructure, national defense, finance, society, production, as well as citizens’ personal information,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said in a news conference.

An early April report from China’s National Computer Virus Emergency Response Center claimed the U.S. launched some 170,000 cyberattacks during the Winter Games.

"China raised concerns with the U.S. through various means on its cyberattacks on China’s key infrastructure. We urge the U.S. to take a responsible attitude on the cybersecurity issue, and stop any attack, including cyberattack, and groundless vilification against China. China will continue to do what is necessary to protect its own cybersecurity," a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C. told Nextgov/FCW.

The NSA and the U.S. embassy in China did not immediately respond to requests for comment. 

Beijing’s embassy in Washington has consistently denied any involvement in cyberattacks against the U.S. and has often pointed the finger back at cases of American cyber operations. But Chinese officials tacitly admitted to involvement in hacks targeting troves of U.S. critical infrastructure during a secret meeting held in December, The Wall Street Journal reported last week.

The unusual move on China’s part to call out supposed NSA operatives comes amid escalating trade tensions between the two superpowers. A cybersecurity executive recently told Nextgov/FCW that punitive tariff environments water the ground for further cyber activity around the globe.

In March, the Justice Department unsealed sweeping charges against 12 Chinese nationals for their roles in hacking activities that have targeted U.S. federal and state systems on behalf of Beijing’s intelligence services over the past several years.

Editor's note: This article has been updated to include a statement from the Chinese embassy.