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

This is now the third major US business sector in the last two months, after insurance and retail, to face a flurry of cyberattacks tied to the criminal group. —Sean Lyngaas, CNN Money, 28 June 2025

The latest incident comes from one such firm, which has now confirmed that hackers stole the health information of over 5 million people in the United States during a cyberattack in January. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 28 June 2025

Mere exposure to reports of cyberattacks undermined trust in the electoral process – regardless of partisanship. —Bruce Schneier, The Conversation, 27 June 2025

Our own research shows that 46% of small and medium businesses have experienced a cyberattack, forcing them to dedicate time and resources to rebuilding trust with their customers. —Jess Turner, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1996, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for cyberattack

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