BEIJING, Oct 19: China’s Ministry of State Security has publicly accused the United States of carrying out a sustained cyber operation against the National Time Service Center that began in 2022 and continued through 2024. The ministry said investigators traced stolen credentials and evidence back to activities it attributes to the U.S. National Security Agency and warned that the intrusion could have threatened communications networks, financial systems, power supplies, and the integrity of timekeeping itself.
Chinese officials said the campaign exploited a vulnerability in the messaging service of a foreign smartphone brand in 2022 to access staff mobile devices and later moved to attacks on internal networks and high-precision ground-based timing systems in 2023 and 2024. The ministry alleged that sophisticated tooling and virtual private server infrastructure spanning multiple regions were used in the operation. China has not published the underlying technical indicators in full but said its probe yielded identifiable leads.
Beijing framed the incursions as part of a broader pattern of hostile cyber activity by U.S intelligence agencies that targets strategic civilian research and infrastructure. Chinese state media and official channels warned that if timing systems had been disrupted, the effects could cascade to stock exchanges, communications satellites, electricity grids, and other time-sensitive systems that rely on accurate national time. The ministry said it would strengthen domestic protections and called on the international community to condemn what it described as aggressive cyber behaviour.
Independent reporting by global outlets has summarised the allegations and noted that Washington has not publicly responded as of this report. Media accounts add that China described the tools and methods used as complex and previously observed in other operations. Journalists also emphasise that public disclosure by Beijing marks a notable escalation in the public cyber dispute between the two powers and could spur further diplomatic and technical exchanges.
Cybersecurity experts say timing infrastructure is an attractive target because precise time is foundational to modern digital systems, including financial transaction ordering, secure communications, and power grid synchronization. Any verified interference with national timekeeping would therefore be serious. At the same time, attribution in cyber operations is technically and politically complex, which is why independent verification and sharing of technical indicators matter for international responses.
Analysts will watch for three developments in the coming days: first, whether China provides detailed technical indicators that can be independently validated by trusted international cyber centres. Second, whether the United States issues a formal denial, confirmation, or technical rebuttal. Third, whether the allegation prompts multilateral dialogue or sanctions related to cyber norms and critical infrastructure protection. The episode underscores how cyber operations have become an integral element of strategic competition and of concern to both national security and civilian sectors.
