The US Congress is taking up legislation to dramatically bolster the government's response to the growing threat of international computer espionage and cyber terrorism, a move that would give the president broad authority to sever from the internet private computer networks at risk of attack.

The legislation is the US government's first effort to create a comprehensive government infrastructure to deal with the threat to the privately-run computer networks that handle internet traffic critical to the functioning of the nation and the world.

The legislation would organise the response from the more than 40 US government agencies currently tasked with handling cyber security issues, aimed at avoiding a cyber "Hurricane Katrina" situation in which a disaster is aggravated by a bungled government response, analysts said.