What are bandwidth and latency?

Bandwidth is how much data a connection can carry per second, like the width of a road; latency is how long data takes to travel, like the travel time. A video call needs moderate bandwidth and low latency; a nightly backup needs bandwidth but tolerates latency. Both matter for security in two ways. A sudden jump in outbound bandwidth from one device can mean data theft or a malware infection. And security tools placed inline in the traffic can add latency, while passive sensors on a mirror port do not, because they only receive a copy.

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