Threat (computer security)
a possible danger that might exploit a computer vulnerability to breach security and therefore cause possible harm
In computer security, a threat is an action or event that would result in an unwanted or negative impact to a computer system, software, data, or other IT resources. Many cyber threats are enabled by vulnerabilities.
A threat can be either a negative "intentional" event like hacking or an "accidental" negative event or otherwise a circumstance, capability, action, or event (incident is often used as a blanket term). A threat actor who is an individual or group that can perform the threat action, such as exploiting a vulnerability to actualise a negative impact. An exploit is a vulnerability that a threat actor used to cause an incident.
Phenomenology
The term "threat" relates to some other basic security terms as shown in the following diagram:
A resource (both physical or logical) can have one or more vulnerabilities that can be exploited by a threat agent in a threat action. The result can potentially compromise the confidentiality, integrity or availability properties of resources (potentially different than the vulnerable one) of the organization and others involved parties (customers, suppliers).
The so-called CIA triad is the basis of information security.
The attack can be active when it attempts to alter system resources or affect their operation: so it compromises Integrity or Availability. A "passive attack" attempts to learn or make use of information from the system but does not affect system resources: so it compromises Confidentiality.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Threat (computer security)” is a possible danger that might exploit a computer vulnerability to breach security and therefore cause possible harm. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Threat, computer and security, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “a possible danger that might exploit a computer vulnerability to breach security and therefore cause possible harm” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 8, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q7797190. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
The absence of detail may reflect summary conventions rather than a lack of surviving documentation. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Threat (computer security)”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Threat (computer security) primary sources, Threat (computer security) archive and Threat research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Threat (computer security)”?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Threat (computer security)” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.