An intrusion prevention system (IPS) – sometimes referred to as an intrusion detection prevention system (IDPS) – is a network security technology and key part of any enterprise security system that continuously monitors network traffic for suspicious activity and takes steps to prevent it. Largely automated, IPS solutions help filter out this malicious activity before it reaches other security devices or controls, effectively reducing the manual effort of security teams and allowing other security products to perform more efficiently. Show IPS solutions are also very effective at detecting and preventing vulnerability exploits. When a vulnerability is discovered, there is typically a window of opportunity for threat actors to exploit it before a security patch can be applied. An intrusion prevention system is used here to quickly block these types of attacks. IPS appliances were originally built and released as stand-alone devices in the mid-2000s. This functionality, however, has been integrated into unified threat management (UTM) solutions for small and medium-sized companies as well as next-generation-firewalls at the enterprise level today. Next-generation IPS solutions are now connected to cloud-based computing and network services that enable them to provide a sophisticated approach to protect against ever-increasing cybersecurity threats facing local and global organizations worldwide. How Intrusion Prevention WorksUnlike its predecessor the intrusion detection system (IDS) – which is a passive system that scans traffic and reports back on threats – the IPS is placed inline, directly in the flow of network traffic between the source and destination. Usually sitting right behind the firewall, the solution is actively analyzing and taking automated actions on all traffic flows that enter the network. These actions can include:
As an inline security component, the IPS must work efficiently to avoid degrading network performance. It must also work fast because exploits can happen in near-real time and be able to detect and respond accurately so as to eliminate threats and false positives (i.e., legitimate packets misread as threats). To do this successfully, there are several techniques used for finding exploits and protecting the network from unauthorized access. These include:
Types of Intrusion Prevention SystemsThere are several types of IPS solutions, which can be deployed for different purposes. These include:
Deep Learning for Evasive Threat DetectionTo protect against the increase of sophisticated and evasive threats, intrusion prevention systems should deploy inline deep learning, which significantly enhances detections and accurately identifies never-before-seen malicious traffic without relying on signatures. Similar to the way neural networks function in our brains, deep-learning models go through several layers of analysis and process millions of data points in milliseconds. These sophisticated pattern recognition systems analyze network traffic activity with unparalleled accuracy, identifying never-before-seen malicious traffic inline with extremely low false-positive rates. This additional layer of intelligent protection that can be used by an IPS solution provides further protection of business's sensitive information and prevents sophisticated attacks that can paralyze an organization. To learn more about how IPS solutions work within a security infrastructure, check out this paper: Palo Alto Networks Approach to Intrusion Prevention. What is signature in intrusion prevention system?Signature detection for IPS breaks down into two types: Exploit-facing signatures identify individual exploits by triggering on the unique patterns of a particular exploit attempt. The IPS can identify specific exploits by finding a match with an exploit-facing signature in the traffic stream.
What is an intrusion signature?An intrusion signature is a kind of footprint left behind by perpetrators of a malicious attack on a computer network or system.
What is meant by intrusion detection system?An Intrusion Detection System (IDS) is a monitoring system that detects suspicious activities and generates alerts when they are detected. Based upon these alerts, a security operations center (SOC) analyst or incident responder can investigate the issue and take the appropriate actions to remediate the threat.
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