Is Cybersecurity One Word or Two?
Is it cybersecurity, cyber security, or maybe cyber-security?
If you’ve seen all three, you’re not losing your mind. The internet is just arguing with itself. And unlike tabs vs. spaces, this isn’t just a nerd fight. It’s a real question with history.
Where Cybersecurity Came From
The Ancient Greek κυβερνήτης meaning “steersman”, “governor”, or “pilot” led to the term cybernetics which was coined by the American mathematician Norbert Wiener in his 1948 book Cybernetics: Or Control and Communication in the Animal and the Machine. Cybernetics is the multidisciplinary study of control and communication in complex systems.
Soon, the cyber- prefix was adopted for anything related to computers or control systems. The term “cyberspace” for “widespread, interconnected digital technology” was coined by science fiction writer William Gibson in his 1982 short story Burning Chrome and further popularized by his 1984 novel Neuromancer.
In 1989, cyber was combined with security (from the Latin securus meaning “carefree” or “fearless”) and the word “cybersecurity” was first used (see Merriam-Webster dictionary and Etymology Explorer).
So it’s cybersecurity, right? That’s the original usage. One word, not two.
Well, not quite.
Why People Confuse It
Although “cyber” acts as a bound morpheme and not a standalone word, it appears “cyber security” is the more common usage.
Google Trends, which only goes back to 2004, shows “cyber security” has consistently been searched more than “cybersecurity” up until very recently. Only in June 2025 did “cybersecurity” surpass “cyber security” in the searches.
You may notice the spike in October 2009 which was due to President Obama proclaiming it National Cyber Security Awareness Month. Note the space. Two words, not one.
The split probably happened because cybersecurity moved from a technical term into the mainstream. As people started using “cyber” on its own in phrases like “Cyber Monday” or “Cyber Defense,” the space or hyphen seemed natural. Linguists might argue “cyber” isn’t really a standalone word, but popular usage ignored that.
How We Ended Up with One Word
So why do we mostly see “cybersecurity” as one word today?
A few things lined up. Big style guides like the AP Stylebook switched to “cybersecurity” in the 2010s. Once journalists made the change, it spread quickly. Governments followed too. Agencies like NIST, DHS, and CISA almost always use “cybersecurity” now.
The job market also played a part. If you search on LinkedIn or Indeed, nearly every listing says “cybersecurity analyst” or “cybersecurity engineer.” Certifications from groups like (ISC)² and CompTIA also lock in the one-word form.
Once the official organizations, hiring managers, and style guides settled on it, the split and the hyphen started to disappear.
Conclusion
The safe answer is cybersecurity, one word. Dictionaries, style guides, and official organizations now prefer it.
You will still see “cyber security” out in the wild, especially in older government proclamations or academic writing, but it feels dated. It’s a bit like “e-mail” versus “email.” The space and the hyphen had their time, but the compact form won out.
So yes, it’s cybersecurity. One word, one profession, one endless battle against people who still click on suspicious links.
Quick answer: Cybersecurity is one word. You might still see cyber security or cyber-security floating around, but the modern, widely accepted spelling is cybersecurity.
References
- Wiener, Norbert. Cybernetics: Or Control and Communication in the Animal and the Machine. MIT Press, 1948.
- Gibson, William. Burning Chrome. Omni Magazine, 1982.
- Gibson, William. Neuromancer. Ace Books, 1984.
- Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, s.v. “cybersecurity.” Accessed September 21, 2025. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cybersecurity
- Etymology Explorer. “Cybersecurity.” Accessed September 21, 2025. https://app.etymologyexplorer.com/tree/English/cybersecurity
- Digital Crazytown. “Is it cybersecurity, cyber security, or cyber-security?” August 2013. http://www.digitalcrazytown.com/2013/08/is-it-cybersecurity-cyber-security-or.html