Sybil attack

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Sybil attack

Where it comes from

Named from Sybil, a book about a woman diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder; suggested by Brian Zill at Microsoft Research.

noun Sybil attacks

An attack that subverts a reputation system by forging a large number of identities in peer-to-peer networks. If the signal rate from the claimed identity and the actual node differs, it can be considered as a Sybil attack. The successful prevention of Sybil attack increases the stability of the network.
Similar: pseudospoofing

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MLA

"Sybil attack." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/sybil%20attack. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

Sybil attack. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/sybil%20attack

Chicago

"Sybil attack." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/sybil%20attack.

BibTeX

@misc{sybil_attack_2026,
  title = {Sybil attack},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/sybil%20attack},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}