Police in China’s Harbin have accused the US National Security Agency (NSA) of carrying out cyberattacks during the Asian Winter Games in the city in February and put three alleged NSA agents on the wanted list, Chinese media reported on Tuesday.
“The department has decided to put out a wanted notice for three suspects – US National Security Agency employees Katheryn A. Wilson, Robert J. Snelling and W. Johnson,” the media said.
According to Chinese authorities, the cyberattacks targeted key information systems – registration, arrival and departure management, and competition applications. The NSA was trying to steal athletes’ personal information, they believe.
Critical industries such as energy, transport, water, communications and defence research in Heilongjiang province were also attacked. China has named universities in California and Virginia as co-conspirators in the attack.
The US Embassy in China has not yet commented on the situation.
In January, The Washington Post, citing US officials, reported that hackers, presumably acting in the interests of China, attacked the US Treasury Department, targeting its sanctions regulator, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
As a result of the hack, according to the publication, the attackers gained access to work computers and unclassified documents. According to US officials, the attack was aimed at obtaining data on Chinese organisations that could fall under US sanctions.
China officially denied the accusations, called them groundless and said it did not support the hacker attacks.
