China Pursues Alleged US Operatives Behind Cyberattacks During Asian Games

Taipei, Taiwan (AP) - China has launched a pursuit of three alleged U.S. operatives accused of carrying out cyberattacks on Chinese infrastructure during the Asian Games held in Harbin, a city in northeastern China, in February.

The Names of the Suspects

A notice from the Harbin police headquarters identified Katheryn A. Wilson, Robert J. Snelling, and Stephen W. Johnson as the three individuals at the center of the investigation. According to the authorities, they worked through the National Security Agency (NSA) and were believed to have targeted Chinese infrastructure, including systems for managing the Games.

The Nature of the Attacks

The police stated that the alleged attacks aimed to "disrupt" the Games and undermine their operations. The attacks targeted critical infrastructure in Heilongjiang province, which includes Harbin, such as energy, transportation, water resources, telecommunications, and defense research institutions.

Extensive Damage

The cyberattacks also targeted Chinese technology company Huawei, according to Xinhua News Agency. The report alleged that the NSA transmitted unknown encrypted data packets to specific devices running Microsoft Windows operating systems within the province.

China's Response

"The nature of these actions is extremely malicious," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian during a daily briefing. "China has expressed its concerns to the U.S. side through various means regarding the U.S. cyberattacks on China's critical infrastructure. We urge the U.S. to adopt a responsible attitude on cybersecurity issues, stop cyberattacks on China, and cease unwarranted smears and attacks on China."

A Call for Action

China stated that it would continue to take necessary measures to protect its cybersecurity and urged the U.S. to cease cyberattacks on Chinese citizens' personal information security.

The Context of the Attacks

It's not clear why the alleged attacks were timed to coincide with the Asian Games, unless it was an attempt to disrupt China's internet controls during the event. The U.S. and China have a long history of accusing each other of cyberattacks.

A Larger Cyber Landscape

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence last month called China "the most active and persistent cyber threat to U.S. government, private-sector, and critical infrastructure networks."

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