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

Some defense experts have suggested cyberattacks on Russian drone factories and power plants; other EU officials have considered information campaigns aimed at ordinary Russians. —The Week Us, TheWeek, 17 Feb. 2026

Kurt's key takeaway Dating apps thrive on intimacy, but cyberattacks turn that intimacy into a massive risk. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 10 Feb. 2026

Increasingly capable coding models have been projected to ease hackers’ or bad actors’ ability to conduct cyberattacks, while also potentially boosting cyber defenses. —Jared Perlo, NBC news, 5 Feb. 2026

During Bell's tenure, Microsoft had to deal with the fallout from prominent cyberattacks. —Jordan Novet, CNBC, 4 Feb. 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