Computer equipment went on the fritz at Delta Airlines earlier this month. Tens of thousands of passengers and employees were affected by more than 1,000 canceled flights and 2,800 delayed takeoffs.

No doubt the problem was extraordinarily costly for Delta and at least some of the affected travelers.

What happened – entirely as a result of equipment malfunctions – is a reminder of how critical it is for U.S. officials in both the private and government sectors, to improve the security of computer networks.

What occurred was bad enough. Imagine what might have happened if it had been a cyberattack by someone intending to cause chaos.

Cybersecurity is becoming a top priority issue. Many of the things we take for granted in our daily lives have become increasingly dependent on computer systems working properly. Protecting that technology from cyberterrorism is absolutely vital.