The company operates in cyberspace in much the same fashion that nation-states do.

"In effect, this is not just an attack on specific targets, but on the trust and reliability of the world’s critical infrastructure," writes Microsoft President Brad Smith.

Informally known as the "Cyber Peace Institute," the organization plans to act as a neutral arbiter that calls out bad behavior on the internet.

The tech giant last week executed a court order and shut down six internet domains set up by the Kremlin-linked hacking group known as Fancy Bear.

The participant companies' principles include not helping any government mount a cyberattack against "innocent citizens and enterprises."

Ashton Carter, who was President Barack Obama's secretary of Defense, seemed to suggest that the complex relationship between national security agencies and the private sector has turned a corner in recent years.