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

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

Musk, the chief executive of Starlink’s parent, SpaceX, tweeted last May: “Starlink has resisted Russian cyberwar jamming & hacking attempts so far, but they’re ramping up their efforts.”

From Washington Post • Apr. 20, 2023

Anonymous has previously declared a cyberwar against the Russian government, and the @YourAnonOne account on Twitter said more than six Russian government websites were offline on Saturday.

From Washington Times • Feb. 28, 2022