Final answer:
Generalized forwarding in networking allows routing decisions to be based on any information in the packet's header, providing flexibility for complex routing, security policies, and specialized services.
Step-by-step explanation:
The characteristic of generalized forwarding is that the decision can be made using any information in the packet's header. This means that rather than being limited to criteria such as the destination IP address, the forwarding decision could be based on a variety of factors found within a packet's header, including source address, port numbers, or even application-specific data. The versatility of generalized forwarding enables more complex routing decisions that can optimize network performance, enforce security policies, or provide specialized services like load balancing or traffic shaping.