iSACA Cybersecurity Fundamentals Certification Practice Exam

What distinguishes an Intrusion Protection System (IPS) from an IDS?

1. IPS only detects threats

2. IPS prevents attacks from impacting victim hosts

3. IPS is less complex than IDS

4. IPS requires more processing power

The correct answer is: IPS prevents attacks from impacting victim hosts

An Intrusion Protection System (IPS) fundamentally differs from an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) in its proactive approach to security. While an IDS primarily focuses on detecting and alerting on potential threats or suspicious activities within a network, it does not take direct action to block or mitigate those threats. In contrast, an IPS actively prevents attacks from impacting victim hosts by taking immediate measures to block or mitigate threats once they are detected. This capability means that an IPS sits inline with the network traffic, allowing it to inspect, analyze, and take action against any malicious activity in real-time. The ability to not only detect but also automatically respond to threats is what primarily distinguishes an IPS from an IDS, making the IPS a crucial component of an organization's defensive strategy where real-time response to attacks is essential for maintaining security. Considering the other options, they either misrepresent the functionalities of an IPS or simply don't accurately describe its distinguishing features. For instance, the notion that an IPS only detects threats overlooks the active role it plays in threat prevention. The comparisons regarding complexity or processing power do not specifically define the core functional difference between the IPS and IDS technologies. Thus, recognizing the preventive capacity of an IPS is key to understanding its role in the cybersecurity landscape.