China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) has publicly accused the United States National Security Agency (NSA) of conducting a “premeditated” cyber attack against a critical national infrastructure facility. In a post published on the social media platform WeChat, the ministry leveled the accusations, describing the U.S. as a “hacker empire” and the “greatest source of chaos in cyberspace.” The target of the alleged intrusion was the National Time Service Center (NTSC), a key institution responsible for the country’s official time standard.

Details of the Alleged Intrusion

According to the statement released by the MSS, the ministry uncovered what it termed “irrefutable evidence” of the NSA’s involvement in the cyber operation. The security agency detailed that the intrusion attempt dated back to March 25, 2022. The MSS reported that the multi-stage attack utilized an extensive toolkit, claiming the NSA deployed 42 different cyber tools in its effort to compromise the NTSC’s systems. Despite the complexity of the operation, the MSS asserted that the attack was ultimately identified and successfully foiled before it could achieve its objectives.

The Strategic Importance of ‘Beijing Time’

The National Time Service Center, established in 1966 and operating under the jurisdiction of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), plays a vital role in the nation’s infrastructure. Its primary responsibility is the generation, maintenance, and transmission of the national standard of time, widely known as “Beijing Time.” In its announcement, the MSS underscored the importance of the NTSC’s function. The ministry stated that any cyberattack damaging these facilities would jeopardize the secure and stable operation of “Beijing Time.” The post further detailed that such a disruption would trigger severe consequences, citing potential network communication failures, financial system disruptions, power supply interruptions, and transportation paralysis.