[TylerJay]

Good point. It is the standard term in security and cryptography.

[schmitosis]

It doesn't matter. You can't use in-group specialized vocabulary when talking to out-group audiences. You must either use common vernacular or somehow give new, commonly accepted definitions to the words you want to use.

[jMyles]

I don't think "attack" is specialized vocabulary meant for an in-crowd.

For reasonable, common definitions of "attack," seeking to disable something or cause it to malfunction is an attack against that thing.