exfiltrate

verb

ex·​fil·​trate eks-ˈfil-ˌtrāt How to pronounce exfiltrate (audio)
ˈeks-(ˌ)fil-
exfiltrated; exfiltrating

transitive verb

1
: to remove (someone) furtively from a hostile area
Kublinski avoided detection. He was exfiltrated from Poland, with his family, only after being compromised by a leak from the U.S. government.Radek Sikorski
2
: to steal (sensitive data) from a computer (as with a flash drive)

intransitive verb

: to escape from a hostile area
exfiltration noun

Examples of exfiltrate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
On December 1, WikiLeaks published 2,420 documents detailing the cooperation between German and U.S. intelligence agencies that had been exfiltrated from the Bundestag's Special Investigative Committee on the U.S. National Security Agency. Tyson Barker, Foreign Affairs, 15 Dec. 2016 Attackers can use these extensions to exfiltrate browsing data, monitor user activity and even bypass security measures such as two-factor authentication. Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, Fox News, 6 Jan. 2025 The Black Basta attackers can finally use this remote access to disable security controls, deploy malware and exfiltrate sensitive information. Davey Winder, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025 Finally, a Play ransomware attack will encrypt an organization’s systems but also, as is the norm these days, exfiltrate information first so as to leverage extortion demands via leak sites. Davey Winder, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for exfiltrate 

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from exfiltration, from ex- entry 1 + (in)filtration

First Known Use

1947, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of exfiltrate was in 1947

Dictionary Entries Near exfiltrate

Cite this Entry

“Exfiltrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exfiltrate. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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