Intrusion prevention systems (IPS) perform in-line inspection of network traffic in a near-real-time manner. The inspection identifies attacks using known vulnerabilities of commonly used software products and protocols, as well as known attack patterns with unusual activity based on connection sequences or traffic volume.
Key requirements for an IPS are:
- Proven in-line threat protection – no network security solution remains in-line long if it compromises network performance or uptime
- Proven reliability and redundancy – ensures that network traffic always flows at wire speed even in the event of network or internal device errors
- Security coverage – automated security updates ensuring up to date protection against emerging threats
- Comprehensive traffic flow inspection – inspection through Layer 7 to cleanse Internet and intranet traffic and eradicate attacks before damage occurs
- Broad network asset protection – protect network infrastructure including routers, switches, DNS and email servers, Web and enterprise application servers, and much more
