Cisco Cyber Security Practice Exam

Which device prevents single-packet attacks from reaching their target?

1. VPN

2. IPS

3. IDS

4. Firewall

The correct answer is: IPS

The device that prevents single-packet attacks from reaching their target is an Intrusion Prevention System (IPS). An IPS actively monitors network traffic and can take predefined actions to block, drop, or alert on suspicious packets, thus providing a proactive defense against various attacks, including single-packet attacks that may exploit vulnerabilities in a system or application. An IPS is designed to analyze traffic in real-time, detecting and responding to threats immediately. By inspecting individual packets and their behavior, it can identify and mitigate attacks that may seek to manipulate or disrupt a service, such as those that utilize a series of deceptive or malformed packets aimed at causing a failure or exploitation. In contrast, a firewall primarily focuses on permitting or denying traffic based on predetermined security rules but may not analyze packet-level details to the same extent as an IPS. While a Virtual Private Network (VPN) secures and directs traffic and an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) monitors for malicious activity without actively blocking it, they do not provide the same level of protection against single-packet or other types of active attacks as an IPS does.