Because when you actually read the linked article, you will see that it usually contrasts cybercrime with the use of cyberattacks during a time of armed conflic

Because when you actually read the linked article, you will see that it usually contrasts cybercrime with the use of cyberattacks during a time of armed conflict. In other words, this isn’t about cybercrime. This is clearly targeting states parties to the Geneva Conventions. So, if we (US) go to war with China, the idea would be this would serve to validate that some digital resource or system is entitled to protection from attacks by either side in the same way that ambulances are supposed to be. Attacks on ambulances are no less war crimes just because no one wants to admit publicly they were the attacker.