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

Taiwan is no stranger to cyberattacks, particularly from neighboring China, which claims the East Asian democracy as its own and has vowed to annex it, by force if necessary. — John Liu, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026

And no matter how brilliant the technology, the transition to AI could lead to a plethora of problems—whether having to do with military uses, cyberattacks, or rogue AI—that will force policymakers to dramatically slow down its implementation. — Kenneth S. Rogoff, Foreign Affairs, 12 Aug. 2026

That integration could become increasingly important as cyberattacks accelerate. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026

The push comes amid growing unease in Washington over AI’s role in a recent wave of cyberattacks, with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle now pressing companies for answers. — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 11 Aug. 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