Power burden is the electrical demand a device places on its power supply and operating environment. It includes the power needed to run components and, where relevant, the cooling and supporting equipment needed to keep them working safely.
In cyber security, power burden matters when planning reliable, secure systems: inadequate capacity can cause outages, instability, or equipment damage, while excessive draw can strain facilities and reveal unusual activity in monitored environments. Attackers may also exploit dependence on power, for example by overloading equipment or disrupting its supply. Defenders assess electrical capacity, monitor consumption for unexpected changes, and provide appropriate protection and backup. Large relay-based computers illustrate how a system’s design can create substantially different power needs from a compact modern device.