An Intrusion Detection System (IDS) is a security technology designed to monitor network or system activity and detect unauthorized or malicious behavior. IDSs play a crucial role in detecting and responding to potential security incidents. Here are the key aspects and functions of an IDS:
Monitoring Network Traffic: IDSs analyze network traffic in real-time, examining packets and data flows to identify any suspicious or abnormal activity. They can monitor traffic at different network layers, such as the network, transport, and application layers, depending on the type of IDS deployed.
Signature-Based Detection: Similar to antivirus software, IDSs use signature-based detection to compare network traffic against a database of known attack signatures. If a network packet or data flow matches a known signature, the IDS generates an alert to notify administrators or triggers an automated response to block or mitigate the attack.
Anomaly-Based Detection: Anomaly-based detection involves establishing a baseline of normal network behavior and comparing it to real-time traffic patterns. IDSs use statistical analysis and machine learning algorithms to detect deviations from the baseline, which may indicate suspicious or malicious activity. Anomaly-based detection is particularly useful for identifying previously unknown or zero-day attacks.