IOPS means input/output operations per second. It measures how many read and write actions a storage system can handle each second, especially under load. Higher IOPS usually means faster access to databases, virtual machines, logs, and backup data, while low IOPS can create delays, queueing, and timeouts.
In cyber security, IOPS matters because storage performance affects both attacks and defenses. Ransomware and destructive malware can generate heavy write activity, filling disks with encrypted files and slowing recovery. Defenders also rely on high IOPS for alerting systems, forensics tools, snapshots, and rapid restores during incident response. When storage is saturated, security controls may lag, backups may miss recovery targets, and critical services can become unavailable even if the network is intact.