Authorities claim the agents carried out repeated attacks targeting sectors such as energy, transportation, communications, and national defense in Heilongjiang province. Chinese investigators also linked the University of California and Virginia Tech to the attacks, though details remain unclear.
The report alleges that these cyber operations were timed with the games and involved exploiting pre-installed backdoors in Microsoft Windows systems to gather sensitive information and disrupt services. Notably, the attacks allegedly peaked during key events like the first ice hockey match on February 3.
China’s foreign ministry confirmed the allegations and urged the U.S. to take accountability, calling on Washington to stop what it described as baseless accusations against China.
This comes amid escalating tensions between the U.S. and China, who have exchanged repeated accusations of cyber espionage in recent years. While the U.S. continues to blame Chinese state-backed actors for cyber intrusions, Beijing has ramped up its own claims against Western agencies, citing national security and intellectual property concerns.
Source: Reuters
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