09/15/2026
What if the first critical decision in a war over Taiwan isn’t made at the Pentagon — but in a corporate boardroom?
Satellites. Cloud infrastructure. AI. Semiconductors. Undersea communications.
America’s technology companies increasingly control capabilities that aren't simply commercial assets. In a crisis, they could become critical components of national power.
Ukraine provided a preview. Private technology companies helped keep communications online, protect government data and defend digital infrastructure. But those decisions were often voluntary, improvised and made after the war had already begun.
Michael Salazar, Senior Manager for Microsoft AI & Security, argues the United States cannot afford the same improvisation in a future conflict involving China.
In his new Cipher Brief column, Salazar proposes a provocative solution: a “Big Tech SOFA” — a voluntary public-private readiness framework that would establish expectations, responsibilities, legal protections and economic incentives between Washington and strategically critical technology companies before a crisis begins.
Because if the cables are cut, satellites disrupted and networks attacked, that is the wrong moment to start negotiating who will do what.
“Wars are not won by improvisation. They are won by preparation.”
Read “Setting Terms with America’s Tech Giants” in The Cipher Brief.
https://www.thecipherbrief.com/setting-terms-with-americas-tech-giants
The views expressed are the author's and do not necessarily reflect the official position of Microsoft or any affiliated organization.
