US officials are worried the Russians may be plotting to cut critical undersea cable lines that power the internet

The next nation state cyber attack could halt the internet all together.

According to a New York Times report, US intelligence officials are worried that the Russians may try to kill internet access in the US by cutting critical undersea cable lines during times of war.

According to the report, Russian submarines and ships are increasingly operating near major fiber optic cables that carry the bulk of the world's internet activity. If these lines were to be severed all electronic communications would essentially be cut-off, a scary thought considering how dependent our society has become on constant connectivity.

While it all sounds a little dramatic, the potential for an internet outage caused by severed cable really isn't that far-fetched.

Undersea cables get cut from time to time by natural occurrences, but these are usually easy to fix because they are closer to shore. The Russians, though, appear to be lingering over vital cable lines in locations where they are most deep, making them more difficult to find and repair.

While the report notes that there is not yet any evidence of cable cutting, US intelligence officials did tell the Times that they are closely monitoring Russian activity around the globe, including some areas close to American shores because of the suspicious activity.

Russian submarines may not be the only thing the US military will want to keep an eye on.

According to the report, intelligence officials said the Russians are also working on underwater unmanned drones that could be used to carry nuclear weapons to coastal areas.

Drone technology is something the Russians have shown a growing interest in for awhile. They are also developing a drone for land use that can see through camouflage.

There are about 550,000 miles of cable under the ocean that brings the internet to the world.