Intrusion detection and intrusion prevention systems are two of the most common security tools today. These network monitoring tools monitor and analyze all network traffic for signs of compromise.
IDSs can detect threats using signature-based and anomaly-based detection methods. Both methods have their pros and cons.
What is an IDS?
An intrusion detection system (IDS) is a cybersecurity solution that monitors your network and flags threats. It can also alert your security staff, who can take preventive action.
An IDS is an integral part of any organization’s overall cybersecurity strategy. It helps protect against various threats and attacks, including malware, network reconnaissance, and distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks.
IDS solutions can detect threats using signatures, anomaly detection, or both. Anomaly-based detection looks for suspicious behaviors that differ from the baseline of your network. Examples include a user’s login occurring on the weekend or new devices added without the proper authorization.
A signature-based IDS solution detects known threats by looking for specific byte sequences or known malicious instructions in network traffic. This type of system is a good fit for organizations with solid firewalls and other security measures, such as a killer antivirus suite.
A hybrid IDS solution uses signature-based and anomaly-based techniques for discovery, allowing it to detect potential attack vectors better. Hybrid IDS solutions are an excellent option for large environments with multiple departments that need higher levels of security. They typically have management servers to collect and analyze data from sensors and agents.
What is an IPS?
An intrusion prevention system (IPS) is a network security tool that continuously monitors traffic for suspicious activity. It identifies threats, reports them to network managers or security operations center (SOC) staff and tries to prevent them from gaining access to the network.
An IPS is usually placed behind the firewall and is configured to inspect packets as they move past it. Once a threat is spotted, the IPS will block it and alert the IT administrator.
IPS systems work with different detection mechanisms, including signature-based and anomaly-based. The latter detects deviations from a “good” traffic model, which often relies on machine learning. This type of protection is best for detecting new and sophisticated threats, although it can also result in a high false-positive rate.
Another type of IPS is the host intrusion prevention system (HIPS). This looks at inbound and outbound traffic from each host, such as a PC, to prevent malicious behavior.
Another type of IPS is network behavior analysis (NBA). It analyzes network traffic for unusual or out-of-the-ordinary episodes that violate baseline rules and triggers a response. This type of IPS is ideal for detecting DDoS attacks, behaviors against network policies, and other types of malware.
Difference between an IDS and an IPS
IDS vs IPS are essential cybersecurity systems that help protect your network against threats. Both are designed to identify suspicious activity, login, and notify security administrators, who decide what to do next.
A network-based IDS monitors all traffic entering and leaving your network and any changes to that traffic. This system will often be able to identify the source of the suspicious traffic or the attacker who is responsible for it.
Detecting intrusions is essential, but stopping them is even better, and that’s where an IPS comes in. An IPS uses either a signature database of known threats or an ML-powered behavior model to prevent attacks from occurring before they can cause harm.
Some IPSs are also available as network firewalls and are an excellent option for organizations with a lot of network traffic. They can be deployed as a standalone solution or alongside your existing firewall to monitor and analyze real-time packets.
Another type of IDS is called a host-based intrusion detection system (HIDS). It’s installed on an individual device that can monitor network traffic as it passes through the machine and examine its logs for signs of malicious activity.
Similarities of IDS and an IPS
Due to the increasing popularity of remote work in the post-pandemic corporate landscape, enterprise networks now have to deal with more access points and heavier traffic volumes than in the past. As a result, manual network monitoring is becoming quite challenging, especially in cloud systems with plenty of connectivity. Moreover, the volume and sophistication of the cyber threats that business security teams must deal with are growing.
This makes cutting-edge IDS and IPS solutions essential to any modern organization’s cybersecurity systems. With these automated security systems, businesses can react to assaults quickly and effectively. These systems benefit from regular upgrades by staying current with the most recent security risks.
IDS and IPS protect corporate systems using a signature- or behavior-modeling strategy. Even more innovative cybersecurity solutions may use a hybrid technique that blends the two methods. These cybersecurity technologies can even start automated activities when danger is identified and warn IT staff.
IDS and IPS employ automation to secure highly digitalized organizational settings, unlike traditional cybersecurity methods that call for constant security human monitoring. This saves IT teams money by allowing them to protect corporate networks from online attacks.
Network protection is provided by intrusion detection and prevention systems, which can take a hardware- or software-based approach. First, sensors are deftly positioned at crucial junctions on the company network to keep track of network data. In the latter, network-connected devices have detection and prevention software installed to monitor data entering and leaving the system. These solutions trigger the alert once a threat is identified. Moreover, IPS can start new activities automatically based on set rules and regulations.
