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

These oversights can undermine the value of your cyber insurance investment, often resulting in higher premiums, inadequate coverage, insufficient support and hindered recovery in the event of a cyberattack. —Raja Patel, Forbes, 13 Sep. 2024

Unfortunately, cyberattacks remain an ongoing problem for public systems, organizations, and private companies around the world. —Kate Irwin, PCMAG, 13 Sep. 2024

Yao has also become a leading voice in discussions of AI safety, vocal on the potentially catastrophic risks posed by future systems that might autonomously execute cyberattacks or assist in creating weapons of mass destruction. —Tharin Pillay, TIME, 5 Sep. 2024

The hacks come as the former president prepares to release his crypto policy platform, and his campaign wrestles with the fallout of a foreign cyberattack. —Mackenzie Sigalos,rob Wile, Nbc News, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1996, in the meaning defined above