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

In a landscape where the number and sophistication of cyberattacks against healthcare systems continue to rise, one segment that remains particularly vulnerable and oft-overlooked is dental practices. —Tarun Eldho Alias, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025

The alliance grew from 12 founding members to 32, helped end the Cold War, supported democratic transitions in Central and Eastern Europe, and adapted to new threats from terrorism to cyberattacks to great-power rivalry. —Kay Bailey Hutchison, Time, 1 Sep. 2025

Hybrid warfare refers to a range of activities stopping short of open fighting, like cyberattacks, information campaigns or the targeting of vulnerable infrastructure. —Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025

Emergency services such as 911 were not interrupted by the cyberattack. —Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 31 Aug. 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