IDS: we provide reliable protection of the corporate network
Intrusion Detection System (IDS), aka Intrusion Detection System – an indispensable assistant to the administrator, designed not only to warn of potential danger, but also to suggest a number of measures aimed at eliminating the threat. It is a type of software. Its functional responsibilities include monitoring network activities, identifying vulnerabilities, checking the integrity of file data. The program is also able to analyze patterns using the experience of previous attacks and monitor those threats that have been relatively recently identified on the Internet and may lead to an attack in the near future.
Now let's take a closer look at what potential danger detection methods are used by IDS, what types of systems exist and how they react to an intrusion, what reports they generate. We will also consider a product such as mobile proxies, in particular, how to ensure anonymity and security with their help networking. But first things first.
Detection methods used by IDS in practice
Immediately, we note the fact that the IDS-system cannot prevent an attack. It is able to detect potential danger and inform the system administrator about it. Today there are two types of systems:
- HIDS (Host-Based Intrusion Detection System) – host-based attack detection system. HIDS is designed to monitor network traffic leading to the – Network Interface Controller, NIC. This program is installed directly on the server or workstation. That is, it is designed to identify threats aimed at the host itself, to ensure the protection of files that ensure the operation of the operating system. This software works in passive mode – Identifies a potential hazard and informs about it. Along with control over network traffic, the system is able to monitor the activity of applications installed on the server. This allows it to detect malicious software that has leaked past your antivirus system. This feature contributes to the fact that many system administrators use HIDS as an additional step in organizing protection.
- NIDS (Network-Based Intrusion Detection System) – network-based potential attack detection system. It involves the installation of special sensors on routers, firewalls and other network devices. These sensors monitor data flows and generate reports that are forwarded to a central server with the NIDS console. That is, this system is focused on working within the network. But in cases where hazards do not significantly affect network traffic, NIDS may not detect them at all. Also, it will not be able to decrypt the encrypted data stream. But in the process of tracking traffic in the form of clear text, this system will be able to effectively track threats and assess their level of danger.
- Physical Intrusion Detection System (PIDS) detection. Here we are already talking about identifying direct physical threats to the system. Often PIDS are used as IDS. To accomplish this task, video surveillance cameras, firewalls, access control systems, motion sensors, traps, etc. are used. That is, they will respond directly to unauthorized offline access of a real person.
- Intrusion detection in local wireless networks. The operation of such a system is focused on the analysis of wireless network traffic. In this case, external users (those outside the physical area of your office) are scanned as they attempt to connect to your network. Rogue access points are also checked.
Let's digress a bit and get acquainted with another network threat such as brute accounts.
What types of IDS-system can be
Regardless of the detection method that the IDS-system uses in operation, the technology is based on several techniques:
- Signature-Based Detection. In operation, such a system uses a database of all those vulnerabilities that were previously identified. That is, all known attack patterns will be found in it. And this database is constantly updated, so the administrator needs to update it regularly. At its core, this variety is quite similar to the work of antivirus software, because here the threat is also installed by detecting malware already in the database. To provide yourself with a sufficiently high level of protection against current threats, you must regularly update the signatures of both IDS and anti-virus programs.
- Anomaly-Based Detection. This kind of IDS-system constantly monitors the operation of the system and knows how it works in normal mode. Its performance is set. Based on the data obtained, a certain standard is formed. Already directly in the workflow, the system will check the current state and compare it with the reference one. And if atypical activity is detected, then the appropriate warning about a potential attack is sent to the administrator. An example of this kind of system would be zero-day exploit detection. Please note: if you, as an administrator, make major changes to the system that can cause changes in its reference behavior, then you need to update this most basic level, that is, it must already be assigned to the system as a norm. If you don't do this, IDS will constantly send warning messages about potential dangers.
False positives: what you need to know about it
When working with an IDS-system, you should be aware that it is prone to false positives and false negatives. So, a false positive will indicate that the identified problem, on the basis of which the corresponding notification was sent to you, is harmless, that is, it will not be a threat to you. A false negative is said to be when there is a real attack on the network, but the system does not respond to it for some reason. Both variants of false positives – this is bad, but, alas, they cannot be excluded. Practice shows that they account for up to 80%, and in some cases up to 90% of all cases.
So why is this happening? We have already talked about how the IDS-system works and found that most systems send a notification if the identified parameters exceed the reference ones. That is, it is very important to correctly set the threshold value. If it is too low, then there will be a very high percentage of random triggers, and if, on the contrary, it is high, then it will be possible not to notice the real threat. Alas, there is no perfect number here. Each system administrator will be able to find the "golden mean" only by experience.
Features of reporting by the IDS system
The IDS system works based on pre-configured settings. You can read about how to set it up and put it into operation here. All third-party actions cannot physically be attacks, which is why the system generates reports indicating which event can carry a real danger. But the final decision is made by the system administrator, studying the reports.
And then there are systems that believe that alarms and alerts – it is essentially the same thing. So, if the problem is minor, then an alert can be sent, and if it is serious, then an alarm can be sent. In this case, the administrator should pay more attention to alarms.
The system can generate reports in different formats. So, it can be compiling a log of notifications and alarms with its subsequent sending to the administrator's e-mail. It may seem that displaying the corresponding threat message on the monitor in real time – more correct solution. But just imagine how much time the administrator will spend on responding to each alert. And here it is important to decide which intrusion detection system you should use in your work: passive or active.
Possible IDS-answers
To understand which IDS system to use in your work, you need to understand how they differ from each other:
- Passive IDS. Its activity is aimed at registering activities and notifying staff about them. By default, most of all systems that are used today in the – passive. They will send notifications in the form of an email, popup or text message.
- Active IDS. It is able not only to register potential threats and notify about them, but also to change the environment, violating the hacker's plans. For example, it can kill all processes on the system caused by the attack, adjust access control lists on firewalls to block unwanted traffic, or redirect the attack to the decoy system.
Is there a way to ensure a high level of security when working on the network?
Control over network dangers, continuous monitoring of the – these are the tasks facing network administrators. But what about a person when working from a home PC? Set up the operation of the IDS-system and monitor all this on your own, check all positives, identify false – All this will require not only certain knowledge, but also a lot of time. Is there an easier way to keep yourself safe online? Eat! We are talking about an additional connection of mobile proxies.
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