Intrusion Detection Systems (synonymous with Intrusion Prevention Systems, or IPS) are designed to protect networks, endpoints, and companies from more advanced cyberthreats and attacks. The systems aim to repel intruders or, failing that, reduce attacker dwell time and minimize the potential for damage and data loss.
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Intrusion detection systems (IDS) are software products that monitor network or system activities, and analyze them for signs of any violations of policy, acceptable use, or standard security practices. They then report any malicious activities or policy violations to system administrators.
IDS are often part of a broader digital security posture. Larger organizations and enterprises in particular will integrate intrusion detection systems into their security information and event management (SIEM) system. This integration is key at centralizing security alerts and management processes to make the business’s security systems more manageable.
A key benefit of intrusion detection systems is that they serve as an adaptable front line in a broader security alerting and management structure, particularly at enterprises with the resources and needs to maintain multiple lines of security. IDS also log suspected intrusion activity, which creates a paper trail that can be helpful for legal and regulatory reasons in some circumstances.
A common challenge for intrusion detection systems is the prevalence of false positives. IDSs tend to identify a lot of false positives in order to make sure that no intrusions slip by undetected. A key challenge and differentiator among IDSs is their ability to continually manage and reduce instances of false positives without compromising the core security offering of the product.
There has been an evolution in the IDS market to include a more “advanced” tier of systems that include prevention features specifically. Intrusion detection systems are concerned primarily with identifying potential incidents and logging information about them and notifying administrators of observed events.
However some systems, usually called instruction prevention systems, actively try to prevent intrusion threats from succeeding. They can do so by blocking traffic to or from certain IP addresses or block specific packets until an IT administrator validates it. The specific features offered will vary by product. As the market evolves, intrusion detection and prevention will likely converge into a single product as the norm, rather than the exception. Currently, there are still a large number of products that specialize into one or the other functionality.
There are two main types of intrusion detection systems:
Network-based systems: Network-based systems monitor network traffic for network segments or devices to identify suspicious activity
Host-based systems: Host-based systems monitor the characteristics of a single host, such as a computer, and events occurring within that host
When comparing intrusion detection systems, consider these factors:
Detection vs. Prevention Focus: Some IDS providers have expanded to include more native prevention capabilities as well. These features can be very helpful, but some with additional up front and overhead costs to manage. Consider whether native intervention tools are necessary and whether there are preexisting tools in the organization that can serve that purpose already.
Integrations with InfoSec Tech Stack: How well does each product integrate with the other network and application security products the organization uses? Consider reviewers’ experiences with those specific integrations, as well as any information vendors can provide about specific use cases.
Standalone IDS vs. Security Platform: Security technology has been trending towards unification and centralization for years. Consider whether it is more helpful to the enterprise to have a standalone, specialized tool for intrusion detection, or adopt a larger security platform that bundles intrusion detection with other features like firewalls or SIEM systems.
Intrusion detection systems will vary in price depending on whether it is a standalone system or part of a larger security suite. In the former case, standalone systems start at $1,000-2,000 and can scale up to $10,000+.