cyber warfare

noun

variants or less commonly cyberwarfare

ˈsī-bər-ˈwȯr-ˌfer 

: the use of cyberattacks by a nation, organization, etc. to weaken or destroy another

… three days of speeches and panel discussions left no category of threat unaddressed. Earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis, terror attacks, cyber warfare, chemical leaks, train derailments, wildfires, floods, and nuclear meltdowns were all considered.

—Matthew Power

… the Baltic nations of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have been the object of various threats from Russia, including economic sanctions and disruptive cyberwarfare.

—Zbigniew Brzezinski

Examples of cyber warfare in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Israel has focused intensely on its technological advantages over its enemies, assigning large numbers of personnel to electronic and cyber warfare units. —Haleigh Bartos, The Conversation, 7 Dec. 2023

Importantly, this situation is vastly different from utilizing hacking or other forms of cyber warfare to directly attack opponents or infrastructure. —Joan Donovan, TIME, 13 Oct. 2023

This is in large part due to its military prowess; members of the Israeli Defense Force’s 8200 cyber warfare unit have often gone on to serve in top roles at cybersecurity companies or found their own. —Alexandra Sternlicht, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2023

Coursework topics include cyber warfare and cybersecurity policy and its legal and ethical dimensions. —Foreign Affairs, 21 Aug. 2023

Public pronouncements, public statements, reportage in the Iranian media about their defense budget, which beginning in 2011 began carrying a $1 billion line item annually on cyber warfare and cyber activities. —Foreign Affairs, 24 May 2016

Unfortunately, this problem will continue to grow until organizations start adopting a far more aggressive, proactive response to cyber warfare. —Jeffrey Engle, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1994, in the meaning defined above