The 13 Best Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems (IDPS) Evaluated Internationally – Green Alliance and Hillstone from China Make the List! | Changting Baichuan CloudThis CSS code defines styles for an image preview component. The styles include positioning, transitions, and hover effects for various elements such as the preview image, close button, and navigation controls. The code ensures a consistent and interactive user experience when viewing images in a preview mode.This content appears to be primarily CSS code, which is used for styling HTML elements on a webpage. CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) is not plain text content that requires translation. Instead, it defines how HTML elements should be displayed.
If you have any specific text content within an HTML structure or a WordPress post that needs translation, please provide that content, and I will be happy to assist you.Unfortunately, I cannot assist with translating the content as it appears to be entirely CSS code, which is used for styling web pages and does not contain any translatable text content. If you have any other text content that needs translation, please provide it, and I will be happy to help.Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) and Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS) (often combined as Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems (IDPS)) have long been a critical part of network security defenses, used to detect, track, and block threat traffic and malware.
As cybersecurity solutions have evolved from early firewalls, these unique functions have merged to provide organizations with combined IDPS solutions. As IDPS increasingly becomes part of advanced solutions like Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFW), SIEM, and XDR, security tools continue to integrate functionalities. While IDPS comes with more products and managed services, vendors still offer standalone IDPS solutions, allowing organizations to choose solutions that support their other security assets and needs. Whether physical, cloud, or virtual appliances, today’s Next-Generation Intrusion Prevention Systems (NGIPS) are worth considering for any enterprise.
Trend Micro TippingPoint Next-Generation Intrusion Prevention System (NGIPS)
Global cybersecurity vendor Trend Micro is an industry leader in next-generation intrusion prevention systems, offering its TippingPoint solution to defend against today’s most sophisticated threats. TippingPoint is available as a physical appliance, cloud, or virtual IPS, providing a powerful cybersecurity solution to protect against zero-day vulnerabilities and known exploits. Whether endpoint, server, or network protection, Trend Micro TippingPoint can scan inbound, outbound, and lateral traffic, blocking threats in real-time. Administrators can maximize vulnerability management and threat hunting efforts with full visibility into the network.
Trend Micro TippingPoint NGIPS Features: Next-Generation Firewalls
Integration with existing vulnerability tools and common CVE mapping for remediation
High availability through watchdog timers, built-in detection bypass, and hot-swappable components
Ready-to-use recommended settings for configuring threat protection policies
Deep packet inspection and reputation analysis for URLs and malicious traffic
Low latency with detection data throughput performance options up to 100 Gbps
Highly rated by users
Cisco Firepower Next-Generation IPS (NGIPS)
For the new era of advanced threats, IT giant Cisco offers the Firepower Next-Generation IPS (NGIPS) series.
Customers can choose NGIPS based on throughput, concurrent and new sessions, and fail-to-wire (FTW) interfaces, with a few devices available to choose from.
Each NGIPS model comes equipped with Cisco security intelligence and features to detect, block, track, analyze, and contain malware.
In the Firepower Management Center, administrators can access and manage policies for monitoring, logging, reporting, and configuration, with extensive capabilities such as 80 categories covering 280 million addresses for URL filtering.
Cisco also owns and contributes to the Snort open-source project – see the Snort entry below.
Cisco Firepower Next-Generation Firewalls Features
Insight into 4,000 commercial applications through integrated options for custom applications
Advanced Malware Protection (AMP) for addressing advanced file-related threats
Embedded DNS, IP, and URL security intelligence with 35,000 IPS rules
Policies for discovering and blocking anomalous traffic and sensitive data access
Threat analysis and scoring, along with malware behavior analysis using file sandboxing
Check Point Intrusion Prevention System (IPS)
Check Point Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) is included in the NGFW series from the firewall pioneer, providing organizations with essential capabilities to prevent evasion and sophisticated attack techniques. Check Point IPS scans for behavioral and protocol anomalies, detecting and blocking DNS tunneling attempts, signature-less attacks, protocol abuse, and known CVEs. With built-in antivirus, anti-bot, and sandbox (SandBlast) access, organizations can quickly deploy IPS using default and recommended policies. Administrators can also set signatures and protection rules based on vulnerability severity, attack detection confidence, and performance impact, depending on the organization’s device and network security needs. Check Point IPS has been using the Quantum name for its enterprise firewalls, while Quantum Spark is the entry-level device for SMBs.
Check Point IPS Features in Next-Generation Firewalls
IPS throughput up to 1Tbps, ensuring Check Point’s Maestro hyperscale network security
Detailed and customizable reports for critical security events and required remediation
Vulnerability detection for multiple protocols, including HTTP, POP, IMAP, and SMTP
Policy configuration based on vendor, product, protocol, file type, and threat year tagging
Automatic virtual patching and security updates every 2 hours through security gateways
Trellix Network Security: Next-Generation Firewalls
For its next-generation intrusion detection and prevention system (IDPS), the Trellix Network Security platform includes IPS and provides threat intelligence, integration, and policy management to handle sophisticated threats. Formed by the merger of McAfee Enterprise and FireEye, Trellix is particularly suited for existing Trellix customers and those who have adopted McAfee and FireEye solutions and are seeking advanced threat prevention and detection, as well as those interested in the broader Trellix XDR platform. Compared to competitors offering entry-level solutions, Trellix solutions appear more upscale. The NX2600 (starting at 250 Mbps throughput) is the company’s lower-cost entry product, while the high-end NS series starts at 3Gbps NS7500.
Trellix Network Security Features with Next-Generation Firewalls
Self-learning, profile-based detection, and connection timing for DDoS attack protection
Intrusion prevention through TCP stream reassembly, IP fragmentation handling, and host rate limiting
Threat intelligence, including reputation analysis for applications, protocols, files, IPs, and URLs
Botnet and callback protection through DNS sinkholing, correlation, and CnC database
Scalable, with throughput options up to 30 Gbps (single device) and 100 Gbps (stacked)
Hillstone S-Series Network Intrusion Prevention System (NIPS)
Since 2006, Hillstone Networks has served over 20,000 enterprise customers, offering a suite of network security solutions to protect today’s hybrid infrastructure. As part of Hillstone’s edge protection tools, organizations can choose between Hillstone’s industry-recognized NGFW and its inline Network Intrusion Prevention System (NIPS) device series. The S-Series NIPS has IPS throughput limits ranging from 1 Gbps to 12 Gbps, catering to a range of network security needs. Hillstone NIPS inspection engine includes nearly 13,000 signatures and options for custom signatures, rate-based detection, and protocol anomaly detection.
Features of Hillstone S-Series NIPS Next-Generation Firewalls
Antivirus, anti-spam, URL filtering, botnet C2 protection, and cloud sandbox
High availability features like AP/peer mode, heartbeat interface, failover, etc.
Block, monitor, or filter over 4,000 applications by name, category, subcategory, risk, or technology
Real-time behavioral analysis provided by known and unknown malware families
Cloud-based unified management for optimizing distributed remote NIPS devices
NSFOCUS Next-Generation Intrusion Prevention System (NGIPS)
Launched in 2000, NSFOCUS offers a range of technologies, including network security, threat intelligence, and application security. For IPDS capabilities, the Santa Clara and Beijing-based vendor provides the NSFOCUS Next-Generation Intrusion Prevention System (NGIPS), with a few devices offering IPS throughput up to 20 Gbps. Real-time intelligence on global botnets, exploits, and malware informs the discovery and denial of advanced threats. Organizations can choose to add the NSFOCUS Threat Analysis Center (TAC), utilizing static analysis, virtual sandbox execution, antivirus, and IP reputation analysis for a more robust engine.
NSFOCUS Features
Response methods include block, pass-through, alert, isolate, and packet capture
Web security and protection against Webshell, XSS, SQL injection, and malicious URLs
9,000+ threat characteristics, IPS policy categories, and complex password policies
Traffic analysis, bandwidth management, and NetFlow data for inbound/outbound traffic
DDoS protection against TCP/UDP port scans, floods (ICMP, DNS, ACK, SYN), etc.
Palo Alto Networks Threat Prevention
Palo Alto Networks Threat Prevention builds on traditional intrusion detection and prevention systems, offering a range of advanced features and protections for all ports to address the evolving threat landscape. The Threat Prevention subscription is included in the vendor’s industry-leading Next-Generation Firewall (PA series), providing multiple layers of defense, including heuristic-based analysis, configurable custom vulnerability signatures, malformed packet blocking, TCP reassembly, and IP fragmentation handling. With Palo Alto Networks Threat Prevention, administrators can scan all traffic for comprehensive contextual visibility, deploy Snort and Uricata rules, block C2 risks, and automatically update policies against the latest threats. Palo Alto Advanced Threat Prevention is one of the company’s cloud-delivered security services, sharing intelligence with its on-premises products.
Palo Alto Networks Threat Prevention Features
Reduce risk and attack surface through file and download blocking and SSL decryption
Remote user protection for endpoint security through the PA series’ global protect network security
Generate C2 signatures based on real-time malicious traffic to block C2 traffic
Integration with PAN’s advanced malware analysis engine, WildFire, for threat scanning
Protocol visibility through decoder – Real-time analysis of audit logs using administrator-specified rules to detect unauthorized intrusions into system or network resources. This is very useful for system administrators to monitor user and rootkit activities for malware installation.
**File Integrity Monitoring (FIM):** Allows detection of file changes or additions, even without alerts, and alerts when changes not made by authorized administrators are detected. It can be used for forensic investigation purposes when tracking unauthorized data modifications or access attempts.
Regulatory Compliance Audits: Detects violations of IT policies or regulations, including compliance requirements such as HIPAA and SOX.
Rootkit and Malware Detection: Scans hosts for known malicious processes, files, directories, and suspicious executables; supports dynamic plugins and scripts to identify new rootkits.
Active Response: Provides real-time response to attacks through various mechanisms, including firewall policies, integration with third parties (such as CDN and support portals), and self-healing actions.
**System Inventory:** Monitors all critical aspects of servers and networks in terms of hardware, software, network configuration, and status. It can also provide inventory reports to help create asset inventories.
Pricing: Free and open-source, but commercial support is available.
Snort
Snort is an open-source network intrusion prevention system used to analyze data packets in computer networks. Snort is designed to detect or block intrusions or attacks, with a focus on identifying stealthy, multi-stage, and complex attacks such as buffer overflow attacks.
Snort has three main use cases. First, it can be used as a packet sniffer, recorder, or a full-fledged network intrusion prevention system.
Additionally, it has a modular architecture, allowing you to create detection plugins. For example, if you want to look for specific content in HTTP traffic, you can make a filter to find it.
Snort uses a rule-based language to capture suspicious activity without parsing individual packets; this makes it much faster than other IDPS systems and reduces false positives. Snort also comes with a graphical user interface for real-time traffic monitoring.
Cisco owns and contributes to the Snort project.
Snort Features
Snort enables network administrators to identify network security attack methods such as OS fingerprinting, Denial of Service (DoS) attacks, Distributed DoS (DDoS) attacks, Common Gateway Interface (CGI) attacks, buffer overflows, and stealth port scans.
Through a configuration file named snort.conf, the Snort IDPS can analyze network traffic and compare it against a user-defined set of Snort rules.
If configured correctly, Snort will provide continuous information about what is happening on the enterprise network. Additionally, it provides users with real-time alerts about potential threats and vulnerabilities.
Snort collects every packet it sees and places them in a layered mode (like a file system) in the logging directory, making it easy to identify attacks.
Protocol Analysis – Snort identifies malicious packets by inspecting payloads and metadata in protocols such as TCP/IP, UDP, ICMPv4/icmpv6, IGMPv2/IGMPv3, and IPX/SPX.
Alert Logic Managed Detection and Response (MDR)
Alert Logic adds a managed service product to this list, with its IDPS service being part of the company’s broader MDR service, which includes endpoint protection, network protection, security management, crowdsourced threat intelligence, public threat sources, and encrypted communications.
Alert Logic’s MDR platform can be deployed on-premises or as a cloud service. The managed security service features industry-leading dashboards and analytics capabilities, providing organizations with insights into their network activities, threats, vulnerabilities, users, data, and configurations to ensure proactive detection and response.
Alert Logic MDR Features
To detect and isolate endpoint attacks early (including “zero-day” threats), Alert Logic deploys a dedicated agent that uses machine learning and behavioral analysis to monitor Windows and Mac endpoints.
With Alert Logic MDR, users can access compliance reports and integrated controls for PCI DSS, HIPAA, SOX/SARBANES-Oxley Act, and NIST 800-53 controls.
Alert Logic provides real-time visibility into what is happening across the entire enterprise environment at any given moment through its threat mapping feature. It also provides a consolidated view of web traffic and file activity for every system in the network.
Alert Logic MDR offers powerful, customizable dashboards that allow users to view their information as they wish. Additionally, all alerts from various security tools are aggregated, providing a single entry point for situational awareness.
CrowdSec
CrowdSec is an open-source and collaborative IPS system that offers a “crowd-based cybersecurity suite.” Their goal is to make the internet safer by relying on data analysis, statistical algorithms, machine learning, artificial intelligence, network behavior models, anomaly detection, and user behavior analysis.
The community works together to improve its system and share knowledge with other members. CrowdSec aims to enable everyone from experts, system administrators, DevOps, and SecOps to easily contribute to better protecting systems against cyber threats. CrowdSec’s ultimate goal is to provide security through the wisdom of the crowd.
CrowdSec Features
AI/ML: CrowdSec combines the human ability to understand new information with the machine’s ability to process large amounts of data in real-time, using advanced algorithms and predictive modeling to detect emerging patterns before they become problems.
Behavioral analysis uses rules analysts create through historical datasets to identify abnormal behavior patterns.
The CrowdSec console monitors server security. SecOps can view intrusion attempts, receive alerts about abnormal activities, and gather intelligence on IP addresses.
CrowdSec agent IDS uses IP behavior and reputation to protect exposed services. Additionally, the IPS blacklists any offensive IP to protect users’ computers.
Pricing: Free version with limited console options and a paid enterprise version.
SolarWinds Security Event Manager
SolarWinds Security Event Manager is more aligned with SIEM systems. It collects information about all network activities, checks for potential network threats, and notifies IT personnel to help monitor suspicious activities. Additionally, SolarWinds logs systems connected to the network, identifies connections matching hacker patterns, and alerts IT personnel to potential network vulnerabilities.
Besides identifying where unauthorized access occurs on systems or servers, SolarWinds can also detect malware infections by tracking indicators of past attacks or known vulnerabilities in memory.
SolarWinds Security Event Manager Features
SolarWinds’ active response feature uses network sensors to detect network intrusions, analyze data, automatically discover network assets, and identify consumed services.
Network-based IDS software in SolarWinds SEM provides users with comprehensive network visibility and detailed information to ensure compliance.
Compliance reports for HIPAA, PCI DSS, SOX, and ISO.
Simplifies attack response on malicious IPs, accounts, and applications by unifying and extracting actionable data from all company logs in real-time.
Pricing: Security Event Manager is available via subscription or perpetual license, starting at $2,877.
Security Onion
Security Onion is an open-source computer software project focused on intrusion detection, log management, and network security monitoring. It runs on several Linux operating systems, such as Debian or Ubuntu. It analyzes traffic through the local loopback interface.
In practice, Security Onion provides various tools for Syslog servers to process logs through its graphical user interface. Additionally, the IDPS has alerting capabilities that generate alerts based on filters set by administrators in the Security Onion GUI’s “Alerts” tab. Therefore, the application can detect various malicious activities, including port scans, unauthorized access attempts, and DoS attacks.
Security Onion Features
Security Onion has a native web interface with built-in tools for analysts to respond to alerts, compile evidence into cases, and monitor grid performance.
Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana, Suricata, Zeek (formerly known as Bro), Wazuh, Stenographer, CyberChef, and NetworkMiner are some of the third-party tools provided.
Collects network events from Zeek, Suricata, and other tools for comprehensive network coverage.
Security Onion supports multiple host-based event collection agents, including Wazuh, Beats, and osquery.