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

Dhillon didn’t disclose the valuation, but the 35-person company said that annual recurring revenue has increased about sixfold year over year, and that its systems scanned 20 million potential cyberattacks last year. —Samantha Subin, CNBC, 28 Jan. 2026

For an investment of US $100 million, Bradley estimates the project could prevent hundreds of cyberattacks with a cumulative loss of roughly $2 billion. —IEEE Spectrum, 28 Jan. 2026

In 2024, France reported more than 140 cyberattacks tied to the Olympics. —Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 23 Jan. 2026

Ransomware used to be a popular trend in cyberattacks, but while cyberattacks are still pervasive, attackers have simplified their methods. —Megan Poinski, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026

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