Cyberattack

A Cyberattack (cyber attack) generally refers to the commission of a cybercrime against a computer or system. For example, Google was a recent victim of cyber attack, apparently from operators in China. The object of the attack was the company's Gaia System, which allows employees and users to log on. The attackers apparently had the names of the Gaia software developers, and accessed a software suppository through one employee's work computer email account.

Once in, they were able to access the source code for the Gaia program. The stolen software was transferred to a webhosting company in Texas, which had no knowledge of the transaction. Google discovered the breach quickly and was able to put new security measures in place. However, the extent of the effect of the cyber attack is still unknown.