A mesh network is a decentralized network design in which devices relay traffic for one another instead of sending everything through a single central hub. Paths can change dynamically, and messages may hop across several nodes before reaching their destination. This makes mesh systems useful when connectivity is intermittent, local, or meant to survive partial outages.
In cyber security, mesh networks matter because their resilience also changes the trust problem. A hostile or compromised node may be able to forward, drop, delay, or inspect traffic, so authentication, encryption, and route validation become essential. Defenders use mesh designs for redundancy and offline-tolerant communications, but they must still monitor node behavior, manage keys, and limit the impact of a bad participant. Attackers may target the weakest relay, poison routing information, or exploit poor identity controls to join the mesh and influence traffic.