Cisco Cyber Security Practice Exam

Which system is designed primarily for real-time packet filtering?

1. IDS

2. IPS

3. Proxy

4. Firewall

The correct answer is: IPS

The system designed primarily for real-time packet filtering is the Intrusion Prevention System (IPS). An IPS actively monitors network traffic and can analyze packets as they pass through to identify and block potential threats in real time. This capability allows it to prevent attacks before they reach their intended targets, thus enhancing network security. By continuously assessing network traffic, the IPS uses predefined security rules and algorithms to detect patterns that may indicate intrusions or malicious activities. If a suspicious packet is detected, the IPS can immediately take action, such as dropping the packet or blocking the source IP address, effectively mitigating threats before they can exploit vulnerabilities in the network. Other systems such as Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) primarily serve to detect and alert on malicious activity without taking direct action, which means they do not filter packets in real time. Proxies act as intermediaries for requests from clients seeking resources from other servers, but they do not specifically provide real-time packet filtering in the same manner as an IPS. Firewalls do filter traffic, but their primary function is to enforce security policies (allowing or blocking traffic based on established rules) rather than focusing explicitly on detecting and responding to threats in real time.