cyber defense

noun

variants or less commonly cyberdefense

ˈsī-bər-di-ˌfen(t)s 

plural cyber defenses also cyberdefenses

1

: steps or measures taken to protect online resources (such as a computer network or database) against unauthorized access or attack : cybersecurity

… the cost of cyberattacks—from business disruption and lost data to system downtime, damage to your company's reputation and even legal liability—is higher than ever. Cyber defense needs to be a major component of your business strategy.

—Chron.com

Officials said that while traditionally cities and local governments took an independent approach to cyber defense and protecting technology, "acting alone is no longer optimal."

—Zak Failla

State lawmakers similarly have cyberdefense in focus, allocating approximately $18 million of a $64.1 billion supplemental budget package toward higher education cybersecurity training programs.

—Greg Mason

2

: the capability to resist cyberattacks

The behavior of employees is also critical for an organization's cyber defense since 82% of data breaches in 2021 involved a "human element."

—Parvinder Walia

3

cyber defenses also cyberdefenses plural : the software, hardware, etc. used to protect against cyberattacks

Biden issued an urgent warning to American business leaders yesterday, telling them to strengthen their companies' cyber defenses immediately.

—Alexandra Meeks

Ukraine has been deliberate about creating a volunteer force of hackers, offering rewards for those who can pinpoint flaws in Russian cyberdefenses.

—Cora Engelbrecht

Examples of cyber defense in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In October, these three agencies even released the technical details of the top 20 cyber vulnerabilities exploited by the Chinese government to hack into U.S. and allied networks, along with meticulous instructions about how to improve cyber defenses. —Amy Zegart, Foreign Affairs, 20 Dec. 2022

To reduce current vulnerabilities, cyber defenses of The Grid and its legacy systems need to be hardened to meet today’s sophisticated cyber-threats. —Chuck Brooks, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024

That’s important, as these companies often represent the future of the industry and indicate that, despite larger economic challenges, investors still believe in the market for more robust and innovative cyber defense tools. —David Dewalt, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024

The Air Force’s 70th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing said Bushnell was a cyber defense operations specialist. —Corky Siemaszko, NBC News, 27 Feb. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1995, in the meaning defined at sense 1