Are you trying to keep your software safe? Intrusion detection devices (IDS) allow you to keep an eye out for any sneaky or suspicious activity that could be a sign of a cyberattack. You can opt for one of two main types of IDS: signature-based and anomaly-based. Signature-based IDS is like having a list of bad guys that you already know, so the system can recognize them if they try to break in. Anomaly-based IDS works like a watchful guard dog that notices anything weird, like a broken window or someone lurking in the shadows.
No matter what kind of system you use, you need to learn what’s normal for your computer network.
Once it learns what’s normal, it can identify anything suspicious, like someone trying to sneak onto your computer in the middle of the night. This guide explains different ways to set up IDS. You can put it on a single computer or set it up to watch your entire network. The best way to configure it depends on how big your network is. For instance, if you run a small business with just a few computers, you might just install IDS on each machine.
But if you have a larger network, like a hotel with tons of guest computers, you might want a separate IDS device to keep an eye on all the traffic. The system can be active or passive. Active IDS sounds the alarm and calls the police. Passive IDS just sounds an alarm. So, active IDS might try to block bad guys from getting onto your network, while the passive system would just let you know that it saw something suspicious.
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