Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS, IDS)
Tailored IPS solutions from ITSecure’s experts.
Why are IPS solutions important?
An intrusion prevention system (IPS) is a network security technology that continuously monitors traffic for malicious activity. When it detects a threat, it can take action to block it before it causes harm.
An intrusion detection system (IDS) also monitors traffic, but primarily identifies suspicious activity and sends alerts. IPS solutions help filter malicious activity and make other IT security tools more effective. Today, it is difficult to imagine a business security infrastructure without automated intrusion prevention. IPS solutions help identify vulnerabilities and prevent attacks. When a security gap is discovered, an IPS can provide protection while a fix or security update is being deployed. A well-chosen IPS can also block known and new types of attacks quickly. ITSecure can help you select the solution that best fits your systems.
Our intrusion prevention partners: Cisco, Zyxel, Sophos and Bitdefender.
Ask our experts for help. After assessing your IT infrastructure, they will help you choose the most suitable solution from leading IPS products.
How does effective intrusion prevention work?
Unlike its passive predecessor, the intrusion detection system (IDS), an IPS is deployed directly in the flow of network traffic between the source and the destination. It is typically positioned directly behind the firewall, allowing it to actively analyze all traffic entering the network and, when necessary, automatically take action.
These actions may include:
Sending an alert to the system administrator;
Dropping malicious packets;
Blocking traffic from the source address;
Resetting the connection;
Configuring firewalls to prevent future attacks.
Effective, fast and accurate IPS solutions
As an integrated security component, an intrusion prevention system must operate efficiently to avoid degrading network performance. At the same time, it must also act quickly, as attacks can occur in near real time. Accurate detection and response are therefore essential to identify genuine threats while minimizing false positives. To operate effectively, leading IPS solutions use a range of techniques to identify exploits and protect networks from unauthorized access.
Signature-based detection:
Signature-based detection relies on recording uniquely identifiable patterns, or signatures, found in the code of individual exploits. Once malicious activity is discovered, its signature is recorded and stored in a continuously expanding database.
IPS signature detection can be divided into two types:
Exploit-facing signatures identify individual exploits by triggering on unique patterns associated with a specific attack attempt. IPS solutions can identify specific attacks by finding a match between traffic in the data stream and a known exploit signature.
Vulnerability-facing signatures are broader signatures that target underlying vulnerabilities within a system. These signatures can help protect networks against previously unidentified exploitation attempts, although they may also increase the risk of false positives.
Anomaly-based detection:
Anomaly-based detection samples network traffic and compares it against a predefined baseline of normal network behavior. If network activity falls outside the parameters of this baseline, the IPS takes action to address the situation.
Policy-based detection:
With policy-based detection, administrators configure security policies based on the organization’s security requirements and network infrastructure. If activity violates a defined security policy, the system generates an alert and notifies the administrators.
Types of intrusion prevention systems
Different IPS solutions can be used for different purposes:
Network intrusion prevention systems (NIPS) are deployed at strategic points within the network to monitor network traffic and proactively detect potential threats.
A Host Intrusion Prevention System (HIPS) egy végpontra van telepítve, és csak az adott gépről érkező bejövő és kimenő forgalmat vizsgálja. A HIPS a fent említett NIPS-szel kombinálva gyakran utolsó védelmi vonalként szolgál a fenyegetésekkel szemben.
Network behavior analysis (NBA) examines network traffic to identify unusual traffic patterns, emerging malware and zero-day vulnerabilities.
A wireless intrusion prevention system (WIPS) scans Wi-Fi networks for unauthorized access and detects and removes unauthorized devices from the network.
The evolution of IPS solutions
The first IPS solutions were originally developed and released as standalone devices in the mid-2000s. Today, however, intrusion prevention capabilities are integrated into unified threat management (UTM) solutions for small and medium- sized businesses, as well as enterprise-grade next-generation firewalls. More recent IPS solutions are also connected to cloud computing and network services. This enables them to respond effectively to cybersecurity threats affecting both local and global organizations.
The evolution of IPS solutions
The first IPS solutions were originally developed and released as standalone devices in the mid-2000s. Today, however, intrusion prevention capabilities are integrated into unified threat management (UTM) solutions for small and medium- sized businesses, as well as enterprise-grade next-generation firewalls. More recent IPS solutions are also connected to cloud computing and network services. This enables them to respond effectively to cybersecurity threats affecting both local and global organizations.
Deep learning for more effective detection
A kiberbűnözők által alkalmazott módszerek kifinomultsága és eszközeik kikerülési képessége napról napra fejlődik. Éppen ezért a hatékony IPS-megoldásoknak ma már be kell építeniük a működésükbe az úgynevezett mély gépi tanulást (deep learning), amely jelentősen javítja az észlelést, illetve a korábban még nem látott, rosszindulatú forgalom azonosítását anélkül, hogy az aláírásokra támaszkodna.
A mély gépi tanulásra épülő modellek úgy működnek, mint az agyunkban található neurális háló: több rétegen keresztül elemeznek, és ezredmásodpercek alatt több millió adatpontot dolgoznak fel. Ezek a kifinomult mintafelismerő rendszerek páratlan pontossággal elemzik a hálózati forgalmi tevékenységet, és rendkívül alacsony hamis pozitív arány mellett azonosítják a korábban még nem látott, rosszindulatú forgalmat, így biztosítva védelmet vállalkozásának.
Deep learning for more effective detection
The methods used by cybercriminals are becoming increasingly sophisticated, while their tools are continuously improving their ability to evade detection. For this reason, effective IPS solutions increasingly incorporate deep learning into their operation. This can significantly improve detection and help identify previously unseen malicious traffic without relying solely on known signatures. Deep learning models operate in a similar way to the neural networks found in the human brain: they analyze information across multiple layers and process millions of data points within milliseconds. These sophisticated pattern-recognition systems can analyze network traffic with high accuracy and identify previously unseen malicious activity while maintaining a very low false-positive rate, helping to provide more effective protection for organizations.
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