Hackers Eyeing U.S. Power Grid, NSA Warns

NSA chief Gen. Keith Alexander recommends the government keep close tabs on Anonymous since the group is growing bolder amid calls to strengthen U.S. infrastructure against cyber-attacks.

Anonymous hacktivists, known for supporting freedom of speech and exposing security errors, generally enjoy broad underground support for actions like defending WikiLeaks and attacking Mexican drug cartels.

But this may soon change, after alleged Anons uncharacteristically demanded bribe money from hacking victim Symantec last week. And the group recently announced it will shut down the Internet on March 31 for Operation Global Blackout, an audacious, if not impossible, plan.

The leaderless collective's volatility worries NSA and other security experts, who warn its members are unpredictable and could harm U.S. infrastructure if given the chance.

"It's a real threat", said James Lewis, a cybersecurity specialist at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "You want to occupy Wall Street? How about turn Wall Street off? Even for a day".

Lewis' comments suggest the financial sector is not impervious to attacks from Anonymous, and neither is the electrical grid, according to researchers at MIT.

The current system leaves six million miles of electrical lines unprotected, say the institution's scientists, who advocate for increased governmental surveillance against potential hacking threats.

Responding to this warning, the Cybersecurity Act of 2012 recommends strengthening cybersecurity at private water and electrical plants avoid a potential disaster.

"The prospect of mass casualty is what has propelled us to make cybersecurity a top priority for this year, to make it an issue that transcends political parties or ideology", said Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D., W. Va.), co-author of the bill.

The seriousness of an electrical shutdown may prompt federal officials to more aggressively prevent Anons and other hackers from breaching such a critical system.

The FBI last year arrested Anons for WikiLeaks-related activities nearly one year after their original exploits. But the nation's law enforcement organizations will likely target hacktivists faster if they elevate their tactics and turn out the lights across the U.S.