An intrusion prevention system (IPS) is a type of security system that is designed to detect and prevent unauthorized access to a network or computer system. It is typically a network-based security system that monitors network traffic for malicious activity, such as viruses, worms, and other types of cyber threats. When an IPS detects potentially harmful activity, it can take a variety of actions to prevent it from causing harm, such as blocking the traffic or alerting a security administrator.
Why is an Intrusion Prevention System Important to Network Security?
An IPS helps monitor network traffic in real-time and detect potential security threats. This can be particularly useful for identifying and preventing the exploitation of vulnerabilities in networked devices or systems. Here is how an IPS can help:
- Providing real-time visibility into network traffic and alerting security administrators to potential threats: This can help organizations to identify security issues and take corrective action before an attack can cause significant damage.
- Preventing the exploitation of vulnerabilities: An IPS can analyze network traffic for signs of potential threats and take action to block or quarantine traffic that appears to be malicious. For example, if an IPS detects an attempt to exploit a known vulnerability in a device or system, it can block the traffic and prevent the exploit from being successful.
- Enforcing the use of secure protocols: An IPS can block or quarantine traffic that does not comply with the organization’s security policies. For example, if an IPS is configured to block traffic that uses outdated or unencrypted protocols, it can help to ensure that only secure protocols are used on the network.
IPS can be used to mitigate a variety of cyber threats, according to the MITRE ATT&CK framework. MITRE ATT&CK (Adversarial Tactics, Techniques, and Common Knowledge) is a framework for understanding and analyzing cyber threats. It is designed to help organizations identify and defend against the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) used by adversaries in cyber attacks.
Some of the tactics and techniques that IPS can help to defend against include:
- Initial access: IPS can be used to block or quarantine traffic that is associated with tactics such as phishing, spearphishing, and watering hole attacks.
- Execution: IPS can be used to block or quarantine traffic that is associated with tactics such as command injection, code execution, and malware delivery.
- Persistence: IPS can be used to block or quarantine traffic that is associated with tactics such as registry modification and bootkit installation.
- Privilege escalation: IPS can be used to block or quarantine traffic that is associated with tactics such as credential dumping and kernel-level code execution.
- Defense evasion: IPS can be used to block or quarantine traffic that is associated with tactics such as process injection and fileless malware.
- Credential access: IPS can be used to block or quarantine traffic that is associated with tactics such as credential dumping and password cracking.
- Lateral movement: IPS can be used to block or quarantine traffic that is associated with tactics such as remote file copy and remote desktop protocol (RDP) abuse.
- Collection: IPS can be used to block or quarantine traffic that is associated with tactics such as data from local system and data from network shared drive.
Types of Intrusion Prevention Systems
There are several different types of Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS), including:
Signature-Based IPS
A Signature-Based IPS uses a database of known signatures, or patterns, associated with malicious code or other cyber threats. When network traffic is received, the IPS compares it against the known signatures in its database and blocks any traffic that matches a known signature. This type of IPS is effective at detecting and blocking known threats, but it is not as effective at detecting new or unknown threats.
Anomaly-Based IPS
An Anomaly-Based IPS monitors network traffic to identify deviations from normal patterns, which may indicate the presence of malicious activity. When unusual traffic is detected, the IPS can take action to prevent it from causing harm. This type of IPS is effective at detecting new or unknown threats, but it can generate a higher number of false positives than a Signature-Based IPS.
Policy-Based IPS
A Policy-Based IPS is configured to enforce a specific set of rules or policies that dictate how network traffic should be handled. When network traffic is received, the IPS compares it against the rules and policies, and takes action based on the outcome of the comparison. This type of IPS is effective at enforcing specific security policies, but it may not be as effective at detecting unknown threats as a Signature-Based or Anomaly-Based IPS.
Overall, different types of IPS can be used to provide different levels of protection against various types of threats. In many cases, organizations will use a combination of different IPS types to provide the most comprehensive protection against cyber threats.
How to Choose an Intrusion Prevention System
Detection Capabilities
An IPS should have the ability to detect a wide range of threats, including known and unknown threats. This can be accomplished through the use of signature-based detection, anomaly-based detection, or a combination of both.
Context Understanding
A good IPS will provide detailed information about the context of network traffic, which can help security administrators to quickly identify and respond to threats. For example, an IPS might provide information about the source and destination of traffic, the protocols used, and the type of traffic (e.g. HTTP, FTP, DNS, etc.). This information can be used to quickly identify suspicious traffic and take appropriate action.
Threat Intelligence
It is important to choose an IPS that has strong threat intelligence capabilities, and that is able to integrate with external threat intelligence sources. This can help to improve the system’s ability to detect and respond to emerging threats, and can provide better protection against cyber threats.
For example, an IPS might integrate with a threat intelligence platform that provides information about known malicious domains, IP addresses, and files. This information can be used by the IPS to block traffic to or from known malicious domains, or to detect and prevent the transfer of known malicious files. By integrating with external threat intelligence sources, an IPS can provide a more comprehensive view of the threats facing an organization, and can improve its ability to detect and respond to new and unknown threats.
Conclusion
In conclusion, an IPS is a type of security system that is designed to detect and prevent unauthorized access to a network or computer system. An IPS monitors network traffic for potentially harmful activity, and can take a variety of actions to prevent it from causing harm. Different types of IPS, including signature-based, anomaly-based, and policy-based, offer different levels of protection against various types of threats.
When choosing an IPS, it is important to consider the system’s detection capabilities, context understanding, and threat intelligence capabilities in order to ensure that it can provide the most comprehensive protection against cyber threats.
Also Read: 5 Cyber Security Tips For Smart Buildings