Wall Street Journal, July 17, 1996 Panel to Oversee Protecting Systems From Hackers Washington -- President Clinton ordered the creation of a commission to recommend laws and regulations to protect vital government and private systems against attacks by terrorists or computer hackers. Jamie Gorelick, deputy U.S. attorney general, described the effort as having the "same level of urgency" as the Manhattan Project, the crash World War II effort to develop the atomic bomb. She said the commission, which will be headed by an appointee from the private sector, will have a large representation from corporations, because they control the nation's telecommunications system, electrical-power grid, banking, transportation and fuel-supply systems. "We are looking for a structure that cuts across the government and private sector," Ms. Gorelick told the Senate's Permanent Investigations Subcommittee. While some 22 federal agencies have some involvement with such problems, she said there is no central mechanism. While the new Commission on Critical Infrastructure Protection deliberates, President Clinton ordered the Federal Bureau of Investigation to head an interim task force. [End]