"Cyber warfare" as you're referring to it ("cripple a nation") is a subset of total war: targeting the civilian population to achieve a military goal. In the p

"Cyber warfare" as you're referring to it ("cripple a nation") is a subset of total war: targeting the civilian population to achieve a military goal. In the physical version of total war, you can only provide defense with military tools. You need military anti-aircraft guns to shoot down military aircraft. You need tanks and artillery to stop enemy tanks and artillery. To provide defense against cyber total warfare, you don't necessarily need military technology. You just need secure civilian technology. Google is already doing a lot of work in that area. Examples include Project Zero to find and close security vulnerabilities; their work to normalize, monitor, and enforce proper use of TLS across the Internet; Chrome browser and OS security work; Gmail security work, etc. Government institutions can provide predictive surveillance that Google cannot. Only the Cyber Command, CIA, NSA, DIA, etc., and their international partners, have the ability to see inside the HQs of potential enemies. And those are the only agencies permitted to act in an offensive cyber capacity. Is Google under any obligation to support that work? I don't think so. Google can do, and is already doing, A LOT to help the U.S. defend against cyber warfare.