A what is cyber attack mean is any offensive maneuver adopted by hackers or threat actors to harm digital assets – computer information systems, computer networks, computers and laptops, security infrastructures, and more.

Cyberattacks happen for a wide variety of reasons, and they generally take different forms. But they all involve gaining unauthorized access to an IT system for purposes of theft, extortion or disruption.

The most common cyberattacks include phishing, spear phishing, SMiShing, and other social engineering techniques that target large numbers of people via email or text messages in order to trick them into divulging sensitive information or downloading malware to their devices. Other attacks, such as supply chain attacks and privilege escalation, take place when hackers exploit vulnerabilities in software code.

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Many cyberattacks are state-sponsored, carried out by rogue government agencies or criminal gangs, but they can also be the work of white-hat hackers, who are involved in ethical hacking for purposes like testing and exposing weaknesses in an organization’s defense mechanisms. And some are driven by political or personal motives. For example, WikiLeaks has conducted a number of cyberattacks to expose corruption and internal conspiracy.

But the most impactful cyberattacks are those that cause real-world damage. Ransomware attacks, such as the one that hit meat-processing firm JBS S.A. in 2021 and shut down plants throughout the world, are a good example. In such cases, victims are asked to pay a ransom to restore their systems, and this is a big reason why it’s so important that companies have a strong cybersecurity posture.