Home > Man-Made Disasters > ‘Fire Sale’: Hacking Group ‘Anonymous’ Could Shut Down Entire US Power Grid, Head of National Security Warns

‘Fire Sale’: Hacking Group ‘Anonymous’ Could Shut Down Entire US Power Grid, Head of National Security Warns


By Graham Smith – “Computer hackers could have the ability to take down the entire U.S. electrical grid within the next two years, the head of the National Security Agency has warned.

General Keith Alexander expects the ‘hacktivist’ group Anonymous to be able to bring about a limited national power outage through a cyber attack.

He has relayed his concerns over the growing threat during a White House meeting last week, reports the Wall Street Journal.

Although he has made no public statement regarding Anonymous in particular, cyber attacks represent an increasing security risk for the U.S. government.

General Alexander has previously warned of the ongoing determination of hacker groups to expose institutional corruption, and now believes Anonymous is moving in a more disruptive direction.

James Lewis, a cyber security specialist at the Center for Strategic and International Studies who is currently researching the group, told the Journal: ‘It’s a real threat. You want to occupy Wall Street? How about turn Wall Street off? Even for a day.'” Read more.

Categories: Man-Made Disasters
  1. Jay's avatar
    Jay
    06/17/2012 at 4:21 AM

    This may be obvious to people already but isn’t “exposing institutional corruption” be a good thing?

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