Cisco Cyber Security Practice Exam

What is a potential negative effect of using an IPS?

1. Improved packet analysis

2. Reduction of network traffic

3. Packet flow disruption

4. Enhanced security protocols

The correct answer is: Packet flow disruption

Using an Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) can indeed lead to packet flow disruption. This occurs because an IPS actively analyzes and inspects network traffic, making decisions to allow, block, or drop packets based on predefined security rules and policies. If an IPS identifies what it perceives to be malicious activity, it may drop benign packets alongside any suspicious ones, resulting in potential delays or interruptions in legitimate traffic flow. Such disruptions can lead to performance degradation, impacting applications reliant on real-time communication or continuous data streams. In contrast, the other options highlight benefits or neutral aspects of an IPS. Improved packet analysis and enhanced security protocols focus on the positive contributions of an IPS in strengthening network security. The reduction of network traffic could also be seen in some cases where malicious traffic is blocked, but that is not inherently a negative effect associated with the function of the IPS itself. Therefore, understanding the operational mechanics of an IPS reveals that while it is a valuable tool for security, the potential for packet flow disruption exists as a legitimate concern in its implementation and management.