An Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) is a network security application that monitors traffic flows to detect and block malicious activities in real time. Unlike an IDS which only sends alerts when threats are detected, an IPS can take instant action to directly prevent or minimize impacts of an attack.

How IPS Works

An IPS sensor inspects all network packets using:

– Signature-based detection to recognize known attack patterns
– Anomaly-based detection to identify abnormal behavior

When a suspicious activity is detected, the IPS responds immediately to disrupt the attack by:

– Dropping malicious packets
– Resetting TCP connections
– Blocking attacking IP addresses with firewall rules

Benefits of IPS

The key advantages of an Intrusion Prevention System are:

– Provides proactive threat defense by preventing attacks upfront
– Minimizes network downtime by allowing quick response
– Reduces exploitation risks by instantly stopping attacks
– Complements overall security infrastructure as protective measure