What is Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems (IDPS)?

Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems (IDPS) are security solutions designed to identify and respond to malicious activity targeting a network or system. IDPS technologies analyze network traffic and system behavior for suspicious patterns, comparing them against known attack signatures and anomalies. When a threat is detected, an IDPS can either alert administrators (intrusion detection) or automatically take action to block or mitigate the threat (intrusion prevention). Common uses include identifying malware, unauthorized access attempts, denial-of-service attacks, and policy violations.