Input latency is the delay between a user pressing a control and the system showing a response. It can come from the device, the application, the network, or the display pipeline. Low latency makes input feel immediate; high latency makes actions feel delayed, vague, or out of sync.
In cyber security, input latency matters because it affects trust in interactive systems such as logins, remote desktops, mobile admin tools, and security prompts. Attackers can abuse high latency in remote-access malware or virtualized phishing pages to make fake interactions seem normal, while defenders look for latency patterns that reveal automation, overlays, or remote control. Consistent, unnatural response timing can be a useful signal that input is not coming from a human at the keyboard.