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
Joshua A. KrollIf 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
Robert W. Lucky
cyberattacker
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
Eileen Dignen
Examples of cyberattack in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
These include software vulnerabilities, cyberattacks, improper system access, and sensitive data exposure.
—May Habib, Fortune, 29 May 2024
The metro’s Kansas City Scout traffic information system has not been returned online since a cyberattack on April 25.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 22 May 2024
Christie’s buyers seemed largely unfazed by the cyberattack during the evening sales, which reached $528 million, within its estimate of $474 million and $693 million.
—Zachary Small, New York Times, 19 May 2024
What is Ascension doing in response to the cyberattack?
—Sarah Volpenhein, Journal Sentinel, 14 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for cyberattack 
May Habib, Fortune, 29 May 2024
The metro’s Kansas City Scout traffic information system has not been returned online since a cyberattack on April 25.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 22 May 2024
Christie’s buyers seemed largely unfazed by the cyberattack during the evening sales, which reached $528 million, within its estimate of $474 million and $693 million.
—Zachary Small, New York Times, 19 May 2024
What is Ascension doing in response to the cyberattack?
—Sarah Volpenhein, Journal Sentinel, 14 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for cyberattack
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cyberattack.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near cyberattack
Cite this Entry
“Cyberattack.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cyberattack. Accessed 6 Jun. 2024.
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