A P2P relay is a remote-access model where a device does not accept direct inbound connections on an exposed port. Instead, the device and the operator both connect to an intermediary service, which brokers the session between them. This is common in cameras, recorders, and other edge devices that need remote access but sit behind NAT or strict firewalls.
In cyber security, P2P relay matters because it can hide reachable devices from a simple port scan while still allowing outsiders to connect through vendor infrastructure. That makes exposure harder to spot during incident response and can complicate blocking, logging, and attribution. Attackers may abuse weak credentials, compromised vendor accounts, or authentication bugs to reach devices through the relay path. Defenders should inventory remote-access features, restrict or disable them when possible, patch firmware, and monitor for unusual relay traffic or logins that do not match normal admin behavior.