What is the primary function of an Intrusion Prevention System (IPS)?

An Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) is primarily designed to monitor network traffic and detect malicious activities in real-time. Its core function goes beyond just identifying potential threats; it actively intervenes to prevent those threats from causing harm to the system or network. This proactive capability allows an IPS to block potentially harmful data packets and terminate malicious connections, thereby reducing the risk of exploitation by attackers.

In contrast, encrypting sensitive data during transmission is a function typically associated with encryption protocols, which focus on securing data to maintain confidentiality rather than actively preventing attacks. Managing security updates and patches is the responsibility of patch management tools, which aim to keep software up to date and secure rather than monitor for active threats. Providing user authentication services is commonly handled by authentication mechanisms and identity management systems, which ensure that users are who they claim to be rather than addressing the security of network traffic directly.

In summary, the primary role of an IPS is to detect and stop attacks in progress, which distinguishes it from functions like encryption, patch management, and user authentication.