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

Experts had warned that the model’s capabilities posed a risk of being used in cyberattacks. —Richard Hall, Time, 13 June 2026

Mythos models, in the wrong hands, could dramatically accelerate sophisticated cyberattacks, particularly in sectors such as banking, which rely on complex, interconnected, and often decades-old technology systems, according to experts. —Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 13 June 2026

Last week, the Financial Times reported that the National Security Agency was using Mythos to conduct offensive cyberattacks. —Jared Perlo, NBC news, 13 June 2026

The fear is that giving users free access to Mythos-level intelligence could enable bad actors to carry out more advanced cyberattacks or develop bioweapons more easily. —Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 9 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1996, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for cyberattack

• ammoniac
• biofeedback
• counterattack
• demoniac
• elegiac
• noncardiac
• paranoiac
• aback
• attack
• backpack
• backtrack
• bareback