US security council fights back

President Clinton may join forces with the FBI to protect crucial data networks from hackers, according to a draft proposal leaked to the New York Times today.

Clinton's National Security Council (NSC) is calling for a computer-monitoring system to monitor activity on non-military Government networks in the US. The FBI would oversee the operation.

A separate set-up for corporate networks is planned for the banking, telecommunications and transport sectors.

The pattern-matching system, known as the Federal Intrusion Detection Network (Fidet) would alert authorities to attacks which could cripple Government operations or even the economy.

The proposal, which is still being discussed by the Clinton Administration, was leaked by civil liberties groups concerned at its implications for individual privacy.