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

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office has stopped using its CodeRED system to alert residents of orders to evacuate or shelter in place or of other emergencies after learning of a cyberattack on the network and a data breach. —Judith Kohler, Denver Post, 24 Nov. 2025

In recent years, Congressional hearings have stated that China is stepping up cyberattacks and satellite surveillance. —Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 24 Nov. 2025

But cyberattacks against the sector are relentless, and the interdependence of various firms can create vulnerabilities, according to experts. —Sean Lyngaas, CNN Money, 23 Nov. 2025

This term broadly refers to acts of sabotage on infrastructure, including cables, or tactics like weaponizing migration and executing crippling cyberattacks. —MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Nov. 2025

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