FBI Director Robert Mueller says terrorists may seek to train their own recruits or hire outsiders with an eye toward pursuing cyber attacks on the United States.

The FBI director says terrorists have not used the Internet to launch a full-scale cyber attack, but said that the bureau cannot underestimate the intent of terrorists to do so.

Mueller made the comments in testimony prepared for a House appropriations subcommittee appearance.

Under questioning by Republican Representative Frank Wolf, Mueller said he would support increasing the criminal penalties for computer hacking in the context of economic espionage as the US seeks to protect sensitive information.