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

Chick-fil-A is notifying customers in North Carolina and eight other states that a cyberattack in June may have exposed personal information tied to their loyalty accounts. — Kimberly Tutuska, Charlotte Observer, 30 July 2026

German authorities have revealed new details about the January cyberattack on the Dresden State Art Collections, suggesting the incident was more severe than previously understood. — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 30 July 2026

The outage began overnight on July 26, and the cause is suspected to be a cyberattack, the city said in a statement. — Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 29 July 2026

Increasing cyberattacks on businesses, infrastructure, and organizations over the past year have created a climate of uncertainty and, in certain cases, panic over the implications of data breaches. — Chuck Brooks, Forbes.com, 28 July 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