A framebuffer is a dedicated portion of a computer's RAM that stores a bitmap representing the image to be displayed on a screen. It acts as an intermediary between the computer’s graphics hardware and the display device, holding pixel data for images, videos, or graphical interfaces. The graphics card reads this data and converts it into signals that drive the monitor. Framebuffers are crucial for rendering graphics efficiently, enabling smooth updates and manipulation of visual content. In cybersecurity, unauthorized access to the framebuffer can lead to data leakage or screen scraping attacks, making its protection important in secure environments.