watering hole attack

noun

A computer attack strategy, in which the victim is a particular group (organization, industry, or region), and the attacker guesses or observes which websites the group often uses and infects one or more of them with malware.

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nounwatering hole attack (plural watering hole attacks)

plural watering hole attacks

  1. computingA computer attack strategy, in which the victim is a particular group (organization, industry, or region), and the attacker guesses or observes which websites the group often uses and infects one or more of them with malware.

Origin

The name is derived from predators in the natural world, who wait for an opportunity to attack their prey near watering holes.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

watering hole attack. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/watering%20hole%20attack

MLA

“watering hole attack.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/watering%20hole%20attack. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “watering hole attack,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/watering%20hole%20attack.

Source: watering hole attack on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.