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Cybersecurity vocabulary · Malware

Payload

Meaning in cybersecurity, with examples

/ˈpeɪloʊd/nounAdvanced term

In cybersecurity, payload means: The part of malware or an attack that carries out the actual harmful action, such as encrypting files or opening remote access, after the initial delivery.

In Turkish: zararlı yük, payload, yük

How it is used

Analysts describe how a payload was delivered (by email, a download or an exploit) and what it did. In networking and APIs, 'payload' simply means the data carried in a message, so the context matters.

Example sentences

  1. The macro in the document downloaded the final payload from a remote server.

  2. The sandbox report shows that the payload was a remote access trojan.

Common collocations

  • malicious payload
  • final payload
  • payload delivery
  • payload analysis
  • malwareShort for 'malicious software': any program written to damage systems, steal data, spy on users or take control of a device without permission.
  • exploitA piece of code or a technique that takes advantage of a vulnerability to make a system do something it was not designed to do.
  • sandboxAn isolated, controlled environment where suspicious files or programs can be run safely to see what they do, without any risk to real systems.
  • trojanMalware disguised as a useful or harmless program, such as a free tool or a document, that secretly performs harmful actions once it is run.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Malware

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