An attack vector is the path or method an attacker uses to get into a system, such as a phishing email, a stolen password, an unpatched vulnerability or an infected USB drive. All the possible vectors together make up the attack surface, and reducing them is one of the core jobs of cybersecurity.
Related term in this glossary: Attack surface
attack vectors, entry point, attack path
Related terms
SIM swapping
SIM swapping is a fraud in which a criminal persuades or tricks the phone carrier into moving your number to a SIM card they control. They then receive your calls and SMS codes and can break into your bank or work accounts, which is why authenticator apps or passkeys are safer than SMS.
Pharming
Pharming is an attack that sends people to a fake website even when they type the correct address of the real one, by tampering with DNS or the device's settings. Unlike phishing, it does not need the victim to click a deceptive link, which makes it harder to notice.
Lateral movement
Lateral movement is the stage of an attack in which the intruder, after getting into one device, jumps to other devices and servers on the same network looking for accounts with more privileges or valuable information. Detecting it early makes it possible to contain the incident before it reaches critical systems.
Insider threat
An insider threat is a risk that comes from people who already have legitimate access to company systems, such as employees, former employees or vendors. It can be intentional, like copying a customer database before resigning, or accidental, like sending a confidential file to the wrong person.
Man-in-the-middle attack
A man-in-the-middle attack happens when someone secretly places themselves between two parties that are communicating, for example between your laptop and your bank's website, to read or change what they send. It is common on unprotected public Wi-Fi and is prevented with encrypted connections such as HTTPS and VPNs.
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