State Dept.'s top cyber official rejects call for 'Digital Geneva Convention'

The State Department's cybersecurity coordinator, Christopher Painter, dismissed calls for an international treaty on protecting and handling data, arguing such a push would restrict United States' options for developing global partnerships in countering cyber aggressors.

“It misses the mark,” Painter said in a response to a question about a recent proposal for a Digital Geneva Convention at the International Conference on Cyber Engagement at Georgetown University on Monday.

Painter dismissed the proposal as “not a new idea,” and said it...