Traffic data is metadata about communications rather than the content itself. It includes details such as source and destination addresses, timestamps, ports, protocols, and routing paths. Security teams use it to understand who talked to whom, when, and through which systems, even when the message body is encrypted.
In cyber security, traffic data matters because it can reveal scanning, command-and-control activity, lateral movement, and exfiltration patterns. Defenders analyze it in logs, netflow records, and proxy traces to build baselines, detect anomalies, and support investigations. Because it can be highly sensitive, it is often subject to strict retention, access control, and segregation rules in separate archives. Attackers also value it, since network metadata can help map infrastructure, identify valuable targets, and time follow-on attacks.