Cyberattack

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Cyberattack is a term in computer science. It is any attempt to alter, disable, destroy, steal or get into or make unauthorized use of a computer system.[1]

An attacker is a person or process that attempts to access data, functions, or other restricted areas of the system without authorization. Malicious intent is assumed.[2][3][4][5]

Cyberattacks can be part of cyberwarfare or cyberterrorism. A cyberattack can be done by sovereign states, individuals, groups, society, or organizations. It may start from an anonymous source. A product that helps a cyberattack is sometimes called a cyberweapon.

A cyberattack may steal, alter, or destroy a specified target by hacking into a susceptible system. Cyberattacks can range from installing spyware on a personal computer to attempting to destroy the infrastructure of entire nations.

References[change | change source]

  1. "Publicly Available Standards".
  2. "ISTQB Standard glossary of terms used in software testing". Archived from the original on 2018-11-05. Retrieved 2021-05-10.
  3. W., Lin, Tom C. (14 April 2016). "Financial weapons of war". ssrn.com.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. Satter, Raphael (28 March 2017). "What makes a cyberattack? Experts lobby to restrict the term". Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  5. S. Karnouskos: Stuxnet worm impact on industrial cyber-physical system security[permanent dead link]. In:37th Annual Conference of the IEEE Industrial Electronics Society (IECON 2011), Melbourne, Australia, 7-10 Nov 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2014.