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

Without security by design, businesses would be more vulnerable to breaches, cyberattacks or operational disruption, and all of us would face far greater risks of identity theft, financial fraud, privacy loss and service disruption. — Mark Thirlwell, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026

To achieve this, Israel employed airstrikes, cyberattacks, interdictions of weapons and covert action to impede Iran’s ability to resupply Hezbollah’s existing arsenal and supply it with more advanced weapons. — Amy McAuliffe, The Conversation, 26 June 2026

The film famously caused an international incident, with the North Korean government threatening the United States if Sony released it and Sony being hit with a massive cyberattack shortly after. — Kirsten Chuba, HollywoodReporter, 25 June 2026

Roughly three-quarters of institutions report more cyberattacks, with more than 90% increasing investment in defenses, and strong adoption plans for instant payment capabilities and richer data standards like ISO 20022. — Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 24 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