What is Intrusion Prevention System (IPS)

A network security tool (which can be a hardware device or software) that continuously monitors a network for malicious activity and takes action to prevent it, including reporting, blocking, or dropping it, when it does occur.

The set of mechanisms trying to provide an automatic, efficient, quick, and exact answer to intrusion intent or attack that can cause damages in a host or network. The objective of the IPS is mainly to prevent attacks against the entity (or entities) being protected.

IPS is the software that prevents an attack on a network or computer system. An IPS is a significant step beyond an intrusion detection system (IDS), because it stops the attack from damaging or retrieving data. Whereas, an IDS passively monitors traffic by sniffing packets off a switch port, an IPS resides inline like a firewall, intercepting and forwarding packets. It can thus block attacks in real time.

An intrusion prevention system (IPS) is a form of network security that works to detect and prevent identified threats. Intrusion prevention systems constantly monitor your network, look for potential malicious events, and collect information about them. IPS reports these events to system administrators and takes preventative actions such as closing access points and configuring firewalls to prevent future attacks. IPS solutions can also be used to detect issues with corporate security policies and deter employees and network guests from violating the rules contained in these policies.