Intel, the world's leading chip maker which employs 4,000 people in Leixlip, is still grappling with a consumer-relations problem that stems from its decision to embed a serial number in its Pentium III micro chips, the New York Times reported yesterday.

Intel in January reacted quickly to complaints from privacy advocates about the serial numbers by distributing software that enabled owners of computers containing Pentium III chips to hide the number.

The newspaper reported that a small Canadian software maker can now make the serial number visible without the knowledge of the computer owner. Acting in what it says is in the public interest, the Montreal-based ZeroKnowledge Systems placed a program on the Web site demonstrating the vulnerability.

Intel has persuaded Symantec, a maker of Norton Antivirus software, to include Zero-Knowledge on its list of malicious programs.