cyberwar

British  

/ ˈsaɪbəˌwɔː /

noun

1. another term for information warfare

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Explanation

Using computer technology to attack a country's government is known as cyberwar. Waging cyberwar on a foreign power might involve hacking its computer networks. The term cyberwar is slightly different from other kinds of cybercrime, in that it refers specifically to politically motivated attacks on a state or government — or occasionally, on another organization. Today's spies might commit espionage, a form of cyberwar, by hacking into networks to obtain state secrets. The word cyberwar itself uses the technological prefix cyber-, combined with war, from the Old English root wyrre, or "military conflict."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cyberwar

The key issues will be the supply of raw materials, interest rates, and a possible cyberwar.

From Barron's ● Mar. 13, 2026

Cyberattacks and cyberwar continue and will only increase.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 18, 2025

That was the joint U.S.–Israeli cyberwar operation that hacked into the Iranians’ nuclear infrastructure, sabotaging their ability to enrich uranium and thus build an atom bomb.

From Slate ● Apr. 15, 2024

A new generation of sophisticated hackers is emerging from the Russian war in Ukraine as activist-minded operators get hands-on cyberwar training that could be used outside the conflict, the cyberintelligence firm Recorded Future warns.

From Washington Times ● Feb. 23, 2023

To win the cyberwar, Zhora said, the shooting war must end.

From Washington Post ● Mar. 4, 2022