cybersecurity

American

[sahy-ber-si-kyoor-i-tee] / ˌsaɪ bər sɪˈkyʊər ɪ ti /

Or cyber security

noun

precautions taken to guard against crime that involves the internet, especially unauthorized access to computer systems and data connected to the internet.
the state of being protected against such crime.

cybersecurity British

/ ˌsaɪbəˌsɪˈkjʊərɪtɪ /

noun

computing the state of being safe from electronic crime and the measures taken to achieve this

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of cybersecurity

First recorded in 1985–90; cyber- ( def. ) + security ( def. )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Appeared in the June 11, 2026, print edition as 'AI Shifts Cybersecurity Battle From Finding to Fixing Flaws'.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026

The first Trump administration built on that designation and created the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, a component of the Department of Homeland Security, in 2018.

From Salon • May 21, 2026

Cybersecurity provider Fortinet added 20%, after it said it was seeing higher demand for its offerings because of artificial intelligence.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

Cybersecurity stocks were seeing an AI-driven pop on Thursday, and Palo Alto Networks’ stock was among the major beneficiaries.

From MarketWatch • May 7, 2026

The firm’s WisdomTree Cybersecurity Fund, which owns SentinelOne, Zscaler and CrowdStrike as top holdings, is down 9% year-to-date.

From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023