An intrusion prevention system (IPS) and a honeypot are two types of cybersecurity tools used to protect computer systems from unauthorized access and attacks.

An IPS is a network security technology that examines network traffic flows to detect and prevent malicious activity, such as hacking attempts and malware infections. It is designed to identify and block any suspicious traffic or behavior that violates predefined security policies, including signatures of known attacks, anomalies, and zero-day exploits. An IPS can be implemented in-line, meaning that it sits between the Internet and the target network, or out-of-band, where it monitors traffic through a network tap or a switch port.

A honeypot, on the other hand, is a decoy system designed to lure attackers into interacting with it, thus gathering information about their tactics and techniques. It is a passive tool that does not actively block or prevent attacks, but rather allows security researchers to study the attackers' behavior, motives, and methods. Honeypots can be deployed both at the network level and at the application level, and they can simulate different types of systems, such as web servers, email servers, or database servers. Honeypots can be used to detect zero-day exploits, to gather intelligence on attackers, and to divert attackers' attention from real systems.

In summary, while an IPS actively monitors and blocks suspicious traffic to protect a network, a honeypot passively collects information on attackers by pretending to be a vulnerable target.