Material transmitted over a network (either computer or telecommunications network) includes both data and information that identifies the source and destination of the material. The payload is the actual data, or the cargo, carried by the headers.

When referring to a computer exploit, the payload is the code carried by the exploit to the target computer and then executed there.

[edit] References

• http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia_term/0,2542,t=payload&i=48909,00.asp
• http://www.securityfocus.com/glossary/P
• http://www.techterms.com/definition/payload

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