After more than a decade of life in the Internet age, Americans too easily dismiss its potential for harm, as well as good. There's nothing "virtual" about the theft, vandalism and security breaches inflicted by those who know how to game the system. Cyber crime is real crime.

Now, thankfully, the Obama administration has embarked on a plan to overhaul the way the U.S. fends off and responds to cybercrime.

In announcing a new strategy, Obama said he would appoint a "cybersecurity coordinator" to serve within the White House, a move seen as an effort to consolidate the operations now scattered among the Pentagon, the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security.

What's most welcome is that, in a break from the Bush administration's classified approach, the general plan now is being shared publicly. A 38-page document outlining the goals was distributed last week, with particular outreach given to private companies vulnerable to electronic breaches.

That kind of openness will be essential to heighten awareness and generate broad improvement in Net security practices. Cyberterrorists want to cause maximum disruption, so they target the private sector as well as government agencies.

Hawai'i businesses know well the risks. An FBI report issued in April included statistics that ranked the state in the nation's top 10 for the highest number of digital fraud criminals per 100,000 residents. In an average year, 800 complaints of Internet crime are filed in the Islands.

On the national level, the administration faces a long road, including even the naming of Obama's latest "czar." Most of the elements of the 10-point plan are just sketches at this point, but a few offer an encouraging glimpse of its orientation.

One is to designate a privacy and civil liberties official to the National Security Council cybersecurity directorate. This is key to achieving a policy that keeps public privacy interests top of mind.

Also, the federal government has stated its intent to work closely with international partners, as well as with the private companies that develop and operate most of the nation's information networks.

Finally, the White House is planning to initiate a national public awareness and education campaign to help ordinary Americans realize that they, too, are critical pieces of the puzzle.

The cyber-framework of the country's government and industry is only as strong as its weakest link. That could be anyone who fails to secure his or her own data, leaving back doors open for the unseen, but dangerous, criminal.