China escalates cyber fight with U.S., names alleged NSA hackers
China has for the first time publicly accused three hackers of working for the National Security Agency and offered a reward for information leading to their arrest, echoing tactics the U.S. routinely uses against alleged Chinese cyberspies.
China has for the first time publicly accused three hackers of working for the National Security Agency and offered a reward for information leading to their arrest, echoing tactics the U.S. routinely uses against alleged Chinese cyberspies.
The accusations are an escalation in the ongoing cyber conflict between the two countries, one long feared by U.S. intelligence officers. It comes as President Donald Trump wages a trade war with China, and in the wake of the U.S. accusing China of two of the largest hacking campaigns against American infrastructure in history.
While there is little doubt that the NSA conducts cyber espionage against Chinese targets, China provided little evidence for its claims.
In an emailed statement, White House National Security Council spokesperson Kylie Newbold said: “The Chinese Communist Party needs to stop with these fabrications. If they want to engage in useful conversations they can pick up the phone and call. Instead of engaging productively, China continues unfair trade practices and retaliation to hurt the United States and our workers. The CCP also continues to claim false equivalence to excuse its own bad acts in cyberspace.”
The NSA did not respond to requests for comment, and NBC News was unable to immediately determine if the NSA currently employs people with the names China made public.
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