China accuses 3 US NSA agents of cyberattacks on Asian Winter Games

Chinese authorities on Tuesday accused three US National Security Agency (NSA) agents of launching cyberattacks on critical infrastructure during the 9th Asian Winter Games held in Harbin in February. Police in the northeastern city released a statement on Weibo naming the alleged operatives as "Katheryn A Wilson, Robert J Snelling and Stephen W Johnson" — all reportedly from the NSA’s Office of Tailored Access Operations, a division known for

cyberwarfare intelligence gathering

.
The statement claimed the trio was responsible for attacks on "key information infrastructure" supporting the event, including systems for information release, entry-exit management, card payments, and local networks between January 26 and February 14.
China's National Computer Virus Emergency Response Center previously reported over 270,000

foreign cyberattacks

linked to the Winter Games, with two-thirds allegedly originating from the United States.
According to Chinese state media, investigators also linked the University of California and Virginia Tech to what they called a "coordinated campaign" against the event.

The Harbin public security bureau is now offering a reward for information that could lead to the arrest of the named individuals and urged citizens to cooperate in the investigation.
Authorities warned of harsh consequences for those engaged in espionage. “We will seriously crack down on cyberattacks and the theft of state secrets against China by foreign forces,” the statement said.
China, which has a history of offering cash for intelligence tips, recently sentenced a former engineer to death in March for leaking secrets to a foreign power.