Intrusion-detection system

Intrusion-detection system

An intrusion-detection system (IDS) is a tool used to detect attempted attacks or intrusions by crackerss or automated attack tools, by identifying security breaches such as incoming shellcode, viruses or trojan horses transmitted via computer system or network.

This is traditionally achieved by examining network communications, identifying heuristics and patterns (often known as signatures) of common computer attacks, and taking action to alert operators or terminate connections once malicious data is detected.

Two main types of Intrustion Detection System exist:

Host-Based Intrusion-Detection System, consisting of software installed on a host, designed to protect the host, or;

Network Intrusion-Detection System, designed to filter or monitor multiple hosts on a network.