A US intelligence agency gained access to China's telecommunications network after hacking a university, Chinese state media claimed on Thursday. The CNBC he says:
The US National Security Agency (National Security Agency) used Phishing – a hacking technique where a malicious link is sent in an email – to gain access to the government-funded Northwestern Polytechnical University, the Global Times claims, citing an unnamed source.
American hackers stole "key technology data, including basic network equipment settings, network management data and key operational data" as well as other files, according to the Global Times.
As part of the NSA hack, the agency infiltrated Chinese telecommunications carriers so the US could "control the country's infrastructure," the Global Times claims.
The Global Times, citing its unnamed source, said more details about the Northwestern Polytechnical University attack will be released soon.
China first disclosed the alleged attack at Northwestern Polytechnical University earlier this month. "The agency also accused the U.S. of being involved in 'tens of thousands' of other cyberattacks on Chinese targets," reports CNBC.
