What is Intrusion prevention system IPS?
Intrusion prevention system IPS Definition: A solution that monitors the environment and automatically takes action when it recognizes malicious attempts to gain unauthorized access.
Understanding Intrusion prevention system IPS
A solution that monitors the environment and automatically takes action when it recognizes malicious attempts to gain unauthorized access. An IPS is a network security technology that not only detects malicious activities like an IDS but also takes proactive actions to prevent or block detected threats in real-time. These actions may include dropping malicious packets, blocking traffic from suspicious sources, or resetting connections. IPS capabilities are addressed in standards like NIST SP 800-94 and ISO 27001 control frameworks. Organizations implement IPS at network boundaries, in front of critical assets, and within segmented networks, configuring appropriate prevention actions and carefully testing before enabling blocking modes. For example, a healthcare organization might deploy an IPS at the internet boundary configured to automatically block known attack patterns targeting their patient portal application, while generating alerts for security analysts to investigate more ambiguous suspicious activities. Related terms: Intrusion Detection System IDS, Threat prevention, Deep packet inspection, False positive, Signature-based prevention, Anomaly-based prevention, Active defense.