International cybersecurity treaty might not be achievable, report says

An international treaty to establish regulations for computer security might be unattainable, according to a new report by the EastWest Institute think tank.

"It could take years to arrive at a global treaty on cybersecurity, since many states are not ready for it -- and perhaps never will be," concludes the study, which is based on ideas gathered during a May 2010 international summit sponsored by the Brussels-based institute. The organization's leaders determined that cybersecurity legislation isn't the best fix for the frail digital economy. Voluntary private sector agreements and international standards are more practical avenues to pursue, they said. The report comes as lawmakers in both chambers have pledged to make comprehensive cybersecurity legislation a top priority this Congress. In the same vein, a cyberwar pact outlining which networks and data should be off-limits in times of conflict might be impractical, according to EastWest.