Which network security device actively blocks or mitigates threats in real time?

Which network security device actively blocks or mitigates threats in real time?

• A. Firewall
• B. IDS
• C. VPN
• D. IPS

Answer: (D)

An intrusion prevention system is designed to block threats as they are detected, sitting inline in the data path so traffic flows through it. It continuously analyzes packets and sessions for known attack patterns and unusual behavior. When it finds something malicious, it can immediately drop the offending packets, reset connections, or apply rate limits, stopping the threat in real time. This real-time blocking sets it apart from an IDS, which only detects and alerts about potential intrusions and relies on separate actions to mitigate. A firewall controls access based on rules but isn’t primarily focused on detecting and automatically stopping intrusions, and a VPN creates an encrypted tunnel for secure communication rather than actively blocking threats.

An intrusion prevention system is designed to block threats as they are detected, sitting inline in the data path so traffic flows through it. It continuously analyzes packets and sessions for known attack patterns and unusual behavior. When it finds something malicious, it can immediately drop the offending packets, reset connections, or apply rate limits, stopping the threat in real time. This real-time blocking sets it apart from an IDS, which only detects and alerts about potential intrusions and relies on separate actions to mitigate. A firewall controls access based on rules but isn’t primarily focused on detecting and automatically stopping intrusions, and a VPN creates an encrypted tunnel for secure communication rather than actively blocking threats.