The CIA has admitted it is not quick enough to respond a hack attack.
The CIA's top technology adviser says hackers are developing techniques quicker than the agency can keep up.
Mr Lawrence K Gershwin warned that a terrorist organisation could mount a serious cyber attack within the next six months.
He told a Joint Economic Committee hearing that the agency lacks the ability to foresee attacks or react instantly once they happen.
Often, "we end up detecting it after it's happened" said Mr Gershwin.
"I don't feel very good about our ability to anticipate," he said.
He warned there could soon be a far more serious threat to the United States' electronic infrastructure - from hostile governments rather than lone troublemakers.
Mr Gershwin said they would like to see more co-operation between businesses and government, similar to the programmes designed to beat the Y2K bug.
PA