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Cyberattack
Last Updated: February 5, 2019
Definition - What does Cyberattack mean?
A cyberattack is deliberate exploitation of computer systems, technology-dependent enterprises and networks. Cyberattacks use malicious code to alter computer code, logic or data, resulting in disruptive consequences that can compromise data and lead to cybercrimes, such as information and identity theft.
Cyberattack is also known as a computer network attack (CNA).
Techopedia explains Cyberattack
Cyberattacks may include the following consequences:
- Identity theft, fraud, extortion
- Malware, pharming, phishing, spamming, spoofing, spyware, Trojans and viruses
- Stolen hardware, such as laptops or mobile devices
- Denial-of-service and distributed denial-of-service attacks
- Breach of access
- Password sniffing
- System infiltration
- Website defacement
- Private and public Web browser exploits
- Instant messaging abuse
- Intellectual property (IP) theft or unauthorized access
The Institute for Security Technology Studies at Dartmouth University researches and investigates cyberattack issues facing law enforcement investigations and focuses on the continuous development of IP tracing, data analysis, real-time interception and national data sharing.
