US is being accused by China for hacking its government funded university of space research programs
On Monday, Beijing alleged that the US had carried out “tens of thousands” of cyberattacks against the country and had stolen a significant amount of personal data, including that of a public research university.
Relations between the two nations have worsened recently over several issues, including Washington’s accusation of Beijing of conducting cyberattacks against US businesses and government institutions.
China has consistently denied the allegations and reacted against alleged US cyber espionage, though it has rarely made public details of specific attacks.
In contrast, research issued on Monday by the US National Computer Virus Emergency Response Center (CVERC) accused the National Security Agency (NSA) of conducting many devastating assaults against network targets in China.
It particularly accused the NSA’s Office of Tailored Access Operations (TAO) of breaching Northwestern Polytechnical University, which has its headquarters in Xi’an.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China supports the institution, which focuses on aerospace and space research.
taking control of tens of thousands of network equipment, such as servers, routers, and network switches, by breaking into the university’s networks.
Using dozens of cyber weapons and previously unknown vulnerabilities in the SunOS operating system, the squad was able to acquire “core technical data,” which included passwords and details on how crucial network equipment operated, according to the research.
Beijing’s foreign ministry denounced the suspected breach on Monday, saying it “seriously endangers the protection of users’ personal data and China’s national security.”
In a press conference Mao Ning, a spokeswoman for the foreign ministry said that they ask the US to provide an explanation and urge them to stop immediately this illegal move.
