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

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel asked patients to share their experiences with Ascension since the cyberattack and received dozens of responses. —Sarah Volpenhein, Journal Sentinel, 17 May 2024

Nearly two weeks after a cyberattack on Kansas City’s website, contractors still can’t get building permits. —Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 15 May 2024

That website now includes state-by-state status reports on where the nation's largest Catholic hospital system stands in resolving the tangle of obstacles created by the cyberattack first identified May 8. —Kristen Jordan Shamus, Detroit Free Press, 15 May 2024

Hackers Exploited Remote-Access Software for Ransomware Attack Cybercrime Unicorns: What Everyone Needs to Know About Ransomware Gangs In Ascension’s case, the cyberattack has disrupted access to some IT systems and clinical operations. —Michael Kan, PCMAG, 10 May 2024

In the Change Healthcare cyberattack earlier this year, hackers entered a server that lacked multifactor authentication, a basic form of security. —John Hanna, Fortune, 10 May 2024

More:Global hacking campaign: Energy Department and other agencies hit by wave of cyberattacks. —Michael Loria, USA TODAY, 9 May 2024

For lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, Wednesday’s congressional hearings about the Change Healthcare cyberattack turned into an airing of grievances against Change’s parent company, UnitedHealth Group. —Brittany Trang, STAT, 2 May 2024

The Kansas City Scout outage could stretch on for months after a cyberattack last Thursday prompted officials to shut down the traffic information system for the metro area. —Andrea Klick, Kansas City Star, 2 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1996, in the meaning defined above