Why is Microsoft fighting Russian military

Microsoft on Tuesday revealed that a hacker group close to the Russian military intelligence that tried to influence the US presidential election has targeted two Republican-leaning think tanks, ahead of the midterm elections in the country. Only last month did the FBI director reveal the existence of foreign-origin information operations "aimed at sowing discord and divisiveness" in the US. But why is Satya Nadella & Co. playing cybercop? In the latest incident, two websites posing as the Hudson Institute and the International Republican Institute was detected and seized by Microsoft's Digital Crimes Unit after obtaining a court order. The company says six internet domains were created by a group known as Strontium, or Fancy Bear, which is thought to be associated with the Russian government; it has taken down 84 fake websites associated with the group over two years. Predicting more attacks as the US heads to the elections, Microsoft says it is expanding its Defending Democracy Program; the company will notify organisations and election candidates of any threat to their website or emails, provide security guidance, and provide security features. But Microsoft's policing has more to do with its interests than the stated claim of "tech sector will need to do more to help protect the democratic process". By strengthening the security team it is essentially protecting its product: the ubiquitous Windows platform. After all, the 200,000-plus computers affected by last year's WannaCry ransomware were all run on Windows. In a way, Microsoft is proactively getting involved in the fight before a Facebook-Cambridge Analytica-like episode forces the hands of authorities worldwide. (Can there be a better way to enter a lawmaker's good books than helping him get elected?) Meanwhile, in India, WhatsApp CEO Chris Daniels assuredIndia's IT minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad, that it would develop tools to combat “sinister” messages.