The term originated in metallurgy, denoting a metal’s ability to resist forces applied to it; its opposite is the brittleness index. For computer systems and telecommunications networks, resilienceResilience The term originated in metallurgy, denoting a metal’s ability to resist forces applied to it; its opposite is the brittleness index. For computer systems and telecommunications networks, resilience is the ability to continue to function according to predefined acceptable parameters, including after failures or other destructive events. Fiber optic networks are resilient in that they are often constructed in the form of redundant loops that allow data to flow in one direction or the other, thereby compensating for cable cuts. is the ability to continue to function according to predefined acceptable parameters, including after failures or other destructive events. Fiber optic networks are resilient in that they are often constructed in the form of redundant loops that allow data to flow in one direction or the other, thereby compensating for cable cuts.