[Cyber Security Terms](/glossary) Indicators of Attack (IOAs) [Blog](/blog)[Breaches](/breaches)[Resources](/resources)[News](/news) [Cyber Security Terms](/glossary) # Indicators of Attack (IOAs) ##### [Edward Kost](/team/edward-kost) updated Jul 09, 2025 ###### Contents ## Indicators of Attacks An Indicator of Attack is real-time evidence of a cyberattack taking place. IOAs indicate the intentions behind the attack and the likely techniques that will be implemented. ## IOAs vs IOCs The primary difference between Indicators of Attack (IOAs) and Indicators of Compromise (IOC) is their position on the cyberattack trajectory. A IOC is digital forensic evidence that's collected after a cyber attack is complete. [Examples of IOCs](https://www.upguard.com/blog/indicators-of-compromise) include log activities, system memory alterations, and backdoors to malicious servers. IOAs are collected in real time. They help security teams understand what cyberattacker are currently doing and their potential next steps. Examples of IOAs include When used together, IOCs and IOAs offer comprehensive attack intelligence, allowing security teams to intercept unfolding attacks and adjust security controls to prevent future related compromise attempts. ## Key takeaways * IOAs are primarily concerned with the motivations behind a cyberattack and not specific cyber threats. * IOC-detection methods rely on static signatures. * IOA-detection methods are capable of intercepting zero-day exploits not yet defined with static signatures. * * ###### Reviewed by No items found. ###### Author ##### [Edward Kost](/team/edward-kost) ###### Reviewed by ##### [Kaushik Sen](/team/kaushik-sen) ###### Join 27,000+ cybersecurity newsletter subscribers ## Read more about Read more about Indicators of Attacks Learn more about Indicators of Attack (IOAs) and the latest issues in cybersecurity. [UpGuard](/blog/what-are-indicators-of-attack) [What are Indicators of Attack (IOAs)? How they Differ from IOCs](/blog/what-are-indicators-of-attack) #### [What are Indicators of Attack (IOAs)? How they Differ from IOCs](/blog/what-are-indicators-of-attack) IOAs, when used in conjunction with IOCs, can significantly increase the efficacy of cybersecurity programs defending against data breaches. [](/team/edward-kost) [Edward Kost](#) June 25, 2025 [View all blog posts](/blog) ## See UpGuard In Action Book a free, personalized onboarding call with one of our cybersecurity experts. [Contact sales](/demo) [Free demo](/demo) ## More from our blog Learn more about the latest issues in cybersecurity. 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