cyberattack

noun

cy·​ber·​at·​tack ˈsī-bər-ə-ˌtak 

plural cyberattacks

: an attempt to gain illegal access to a computer or computer system for the purpose of causing damage or harm

An undermine-first strategy allows the United States government to intrude into adversaries' systems, exploiting this covert access to gather intelligence and occasionally to deliver a destructive cyberattack.

—Joshua A. Kroll

If your data is valuable enough, there is almost nothing you can do to provide total security against an expert adversary. Simply put, the attacker may be smarter than anyone you have defending the network. Cyberattacks are not only impossible to block, they're often difficult to detect; you may not even know you're under attack in the first place.

—Robert W. Lucky

cyberattacker

ˈsī-bər-ə-ˌta-kər 

noun

plural cyberattackers

Cyberattackers constantly evolve their skills and will always find new ways to attack—it's not a question of "if," but of "when."

—Eileen Dignen

Examples of cyberattack in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Some organizations will continue to treat destructive cyberattacks as business continuity and disaster recovery (BC/DR) scenarios, resulting in extended downtime due to reinfection and reattack. —James Blake, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025

From co-creators, writers, and EPs Eric Newman and Noah Oppenheim, the thriller follows De Niro's George Mullen, a highly respected former U.S. president, as he's tasked with leading an investigation into the aforementioned cyberattack. —Samantha Highfill, EW.com, 8 Jan. 2025

Strategically, this incident can be viewed as a component of hybrid warfare, where cyberattacks serve as a means to erode trust in governmental institutions while probing for systemic weaknesses in economic and security infrastructures. —Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 7 Jan. 2025

Food news:After cyberattack, Krispy Kreme 'thanks' customers with free delivery, deals Key Lime seasonal beverages also making a comeback Originally introduced as a limited-time offering nationwide in 2019, the Key Lime beverage line-up will also return to menus. —Gabe Hauari, USA TODAY, 2 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1996, in the meaning defined above