Networking is the connectivity layer that moves data between systems, services, and components. In AI environments, it carries datasets, model requests, storage traffic, orchestration commands, and service responses. Good networking is not just about speed: it is also about reliability, segmentation, and controlling who can talk to what.
In cyber security, networking matters because it is both a dependency and an attack surface. Weak network controls can let an intruder sniff traffic, hijack sessions, move laterally between workloads, or exfiltrate data from training and inference systems. Misconfigured routing, exposed management interfaces, and overly permissive service-to-service access are common risks. Defenders use firewalls, network segmentation, zero-trust policies, encryption in transit, and traffic monitoring to reduce exposure and spot unusual connections before they become breaches.