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 UnitedHealth Group estimated the costs from the cyberattack against its Change Healthcare unit will reach $2.3 billion to $2.45 billion this year. —

Tina Reed, Axios, 17 July 2024 Spending at car dealerships and on automotive parts also fell markedly in June, reflecting the cyberattack on CDK Global, a software provider for dealerships. —

Bryan Mena, CNN, 16 July 2024 Latest in health-care technology UnitedHealth Group beats on earnings, forecasts bigger hit from Change Healthcare cyberattack Omar Marques | Lightrocket | Getty Images UnitedHealth Group’s cyberattack woes aren’t over yet. —

Annika Kim Constantino,ashley Capoot, CNBC, 16 July 2024 The automaker did not reference the cyberattack in its news release, but the release did quote Kevin Farrish, National Dealer Council chairman for Stellantis, related to a range of issues. —

Jamie L. Lareau, Detroit Free Press, 15 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for cyberattack

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cyberattack.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.