Network data is information about communications between systems, including traffic details and metadata such as source and destination addresses, timestamps, protocols, and connection volume. Depending on the monitoring setup, it may include packet contents or only records describing the traffic.
In cybersecurity, analysts use network data to add context to alerts and investigate how events relate over time. A series of connections may reveal suspicious communication or help place an alert within a broader attack timeline. Network detection and response tools can analyze and correlate this activity, helping defenders distinguish related events from unrelated noise. Its usefulness depends on coverage, retention, and careful interpretation; network data supports an investigation but does not by itself prove an intrusion.