The Top 10 Intrusion Prevention System Solutions

Check Point Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) delivers integrated next-generation firewall intrusion prevention capabilities at multi-gigabit speeds, ensuring high security effectiveness with a low false positive rate.

How it works: Check Point combines computer intelligence and SOC team insights to identify threats. It can automatically deploy virtual patches every two hours to provide a swift response to vulnerabilities.

Who it’s for: Enterprises and large organizations looking for robust, comprehensive network protection.

Benefits: Check Point IPS provides advanced security features that protect your organization from a wide range of network threats.

• Combines signatures, protocol validation, anomaly detection, and behavioral analysis for comprehensive protection.
• Offers preemptive security updates and guards against known exploits, DNS tunneling, generic attacks, and protocol misuse.
• Integration with SmartEvent and single-interface management provides extensive visibility and threat detection.
• Delivers a comprehensive range of security capabilities, including antivirus, Anti-bot, and SandBlast zero-day protection for enhanced security.
• Can be deployed in ‘detect only’ mode, allowing you to make the call on what content is allowed in, thereby preserving productivity.

The bottom line: Check Point IPS is a reliable solution for enterprises looking to maintain high performance and robust security through advanced intrusion prevention methods and integration with other security systems. It allows administrators to analyze security logs and IPS tags to develop specific policies tailored to your environment.

• Founded in 1993, Check Point serves over 100,000 clients globally.

Cisco Secure IPS provides advanced network visibility and control, allowing users better control of their network through applications, host profiles, file trajectory, sandboxing, and vulnerability information.

How it works: Cisco IPS continuously scans your network to gather intelligence, which is used to build a profile map. This map provides key, contextual information that allows you to make informed decisions when it comes to intrusion events.

Who it’s for: Enterprises looking for a comprehensive intrusion prevention system with extensive threat detection capabilities.

Benefits: Cisco Secure IPS offers detailed network visibility and robust threat detection.

• Complete visibility into applications, signs of compromise, host profiles, file trajectory, vulnerability information, and device-level OS to build targeted policies.
• Updates security policies and signatures every two hours, leveraging the industry leading Cisco Talos threat detection network.
• Automates threat prioritization and policy recommendations based on network vulnerabilities.
• Flexible deployment options enable Secure IPS to be positioned for inline inspection or passive detection, based on organizational requirements.

The bottom line: Cisco Secure IPS provides a comprehensive intrusion prevention solution that is highly adaptable and integrates smoothly with existing infrastructures. Its automation and continuous threat updates ensure robust security and operational efficiency for enterprises.

• Cisco, founded in 1984 and headquartered in San Jose, California, serves a wide range of clients globally with its comprehensive suite of networking and security solutions.

Trellix Network Security detects, blocks, and responds to advanced and targeted cyberattacks. It uses signatureless detection to protect against advanced threats, including zero day attacks.

How it works: Trellix uses a system called Multi-Vector Virtual Execution (MVX) alongside ML and AI. MVX is a signature-less, dynamic detection engine that can identify new threats, and those that don’t fit with policy-based defenses. This trio of technologies is able to detect and warn you of a broad range of threats.

Who it’s for: Mid-sized to large enterprises with complex IT environments.

Benefits: Trellix Network Security delivers advanced threat detection and response capabilities and is able to generate high-fidelity alerts to ensure efficient analysis and reduced alert fatigue.

• Simplifies and automates workflows with real-time evidence and Layer 7 metadata.
• Identifies multi-flow, multi-stage, zero-day, polymorphic, and ransomware attacks that can evade traditional defenses.
• Utilizes machine learning and AI facilitates real-time detection, retrospective threat identification, and lateral threat tracking within networks.
• Stops attacks in real-time and map detected threats to the MITRE ATT&K framework for improved understanding.

The bottom line: Trellix Network Security effectively combines advanced detection methods with automations n to provide comprehensive protection against sophisticated threats.

• Trellix was founded in 2022, headquartered in San Jose, California, and serves a wide range of clients across various industries.

Forcepoint’s Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW) offers a comprehensive security and networking solution with integrated Secure SD-WAN and Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA).

How it works: Forcepoint NGFW includes a firewall, VPN, and ZTNA Application connector. This allows it extensive insight into your network, where it can decode and normalize traffic to identify the most pressing threats.

Who it’s for: Enterprises looking for flexible, single-vendor SASE architecture with advanced security and connectivity features.

Benefits: The Forcepoint NGFW provides robust security, flexible deployment, and efficient management capabilities.

• Advanced malware detection and intrusion prevention, ensuring a secure network environment.
• Supports both physical and virtual appliances, enabling easy deployment and remote management.
• Forcepoint Security Management Center (SMC) allows centralized policy management, identifying risks, and conducting real-time health checks.
• High-availability clustering and automated zero-downtime updates guarantee uninterrupted service.

The bottom line: Forcepoint’s Next-Generation Firewall provides advanced security features and flexible networking solutions, making it an excellent choice for enterprises requiring dependable, single-vendor SASE architecture, and streamlined network management.

• Founded in 1994, headquartered in Austin, Texas, Forcepoint serves a broad range of clients globally, focusing on high-security and enterprise-ready IT solutions.

FortiGuard Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) detects and blocks known and suspicious threats before they reach users’ devices. It analyzes and deploys new IP signatures in near real-time for a speedy and coordinated response.

How it works: FortiGuard combines near real-time intelligence with thousands of intrusion prevention rules, without adversely impacting on performance. This is achieved through offloading resource-intensive tasks to dedicated processors, thereby preserving network performance and user experience.

Who it’s for: The platform is suitable for enterprises requiring robust, comprehensive network defense, particularly manufacturing sector due to its ability to analyze network traffic and secure IOT apps and devices.

Benefits: FortiGuard IPS Service offers high-level protection driven by Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) to accurately identify and prevent malicious traffic from entering the network.

• FortiGuard IPS uses signature-based and behavior-based techniques powered by AI/ML to identify known and unknown threats in real time.
• By monitoring global threat intelligence feeds, FortiGuard IPS continuously updates its knowledge base to detect and mitigate emerging threats.
• It provides virtual patching to secure vulnerable systems, without the need for immediate software updates.
• Extends protection to Operational Technology (OT) devices and IoT devices, ensuring coverage for manufacturing and industries reliant on IoT hardware.
• Addresses initial access stages of the kill chain and aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK framework.

The bottom line: FortiGuard IPS Service provides fast, reliable, and comprehensive protection, leveraging advanced AI/ML techniques.

• Fortinet, founded in 2000, is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, and serves over 500,000 customers worldwide.

Hillstone Network-based Intrusion Prevention System (NIPS) provides deep packet inspection and high-speed threat detection for comprehensive network security. It uses multiple rule-based methodologies like anomaly and signature analysis, to effectively identify and block threats.

How it works: NIPS operates in-line and at wire speed, carrying out deep packet inspection of all traffic. It also utilizes AI to provide DDoS protection and to apply network traffic inspection rules.

Who it’s for: Enterprises requiring for extensive network threat management and real-time traffic monitoring. It is well suited to those focused on PCI DSS compliance, such as organizations with the financial sector.

Benefits: Hillstone NIPS delivers robust protection by inspecting traffic in real-time, it integrates within your network to catch threats that perimeter solutions may miss.

• Deep Packet Inspection allows the detailed analysis of network traffic to detect and block threats in real time.
• Supports flexible deployment scenarios ideal for complex environments.
• Utilizes multiple detection techniques including protocol anomaly and signature analysis for comprehensive and advanced threat identification.
• Provides comprehensive visibility based on insights across protocols, applications, users, and content layers.
• Comprehensive reporting offers granular visibility that ensures feedback is tailored for administrators and executives.

The bottom line: Hillstone NIPS combines high-speed deep packet inspection with comprehensive threat detection and flexible deployment options.

• Founded in 2006, Hillstone Networks is headquartered in Santa Clara, CA, and serves over 18,000 customers globally.

Palo Alto Networks Advanced Threat Prevention (ATP) is a comprehensive cloud-based firewall that detects and block advanced network threats in real-time.

How it works: ATP works inline, utilizing ML to detect threats in real time. It ingests information from Unit42, Palo Alto’s leading cyber threat research team.

Who it’s for: Large enterprises seeking robust, real-time protection against sophisticated cyber threats.

Benefits: Advanced Threat Prevention delivers real-time detection and blocking of unknown exploit attempts like command and control attacks.

• Uses inline deep learning models to detect and block advanced threats in real time.
• Provides comprehensive protection against known threats like malware, spyware, and unknown C2 attacks in real-time, using deep learning threat prevention models.
• Highly accurate threat prevention; targets threats at both network and application layers, including port scans and buffer overflows.
• Low false positive rate, ensuring minimal disruption to legitimate activities.
• Regular security updates to protect against new and evolving threats.

The bottom line: Palo Alto Networks Advanced Threat Prevention provides advanced detection capabilities and real-time threat prevention. It’s a valuable asset for enterprises concerned with addressing both emerging and existing cyber threats.

• Founded in 2005 and headquartered in Santa Clara, California, Palo Alto Networks serves over 70,000 organizations in 150 countries, including 85 of the Fortune 100.

Snort is the leading open-source network intrusion detection and prevention system. It’s currently managed by Cisco, which acquired Sourcefire in 2013.

How it works: Snort is an open source network intrusion prevention system that can carry out real-time logging on IP networks. It analyses traffic based on library packet capture (libpcap) records, which are then checked against a database of known attacks to trigger real-time alerts if a threat is detected.

Who it’s for: Primarily suited for enterprises and security managers looking for an agnostic, open source IPS.

Benefits: Snort delivers real-time traffic analysis and packet logging, making it a useful tool for detecting and preventing network intrusions.

• Supports protocol analysis, content searching, and content matching, helping to conduct a thorough detailed examination of network traffic.
• Can identify various attack types, including OS fingerprinting, buffer overflows, and stealth port scans.
• Users can set up rules to define malicious activity and match packets; this can either trigger alerts or block malicious packets when deployed inline.
• Integrate with LuaJIT which lets users design their own plugins.
• Built using C++ which makes it modular and easier to maintain.

The bottom line: Snort acts as a versatile and reliable IDS/IPS. It is ideal for those seeking an open source, vendor agnostic IPS.

• Originally developed in 1998, Snort is now part of cybersecurity giant Cisco, headquartered in San Jose, California. It supports Snort through its Talos Intelligence Group.

Trend Micro TippingPoint delivers a market leading Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS) designed to detect and block attacks through machine learning-driven threat detection.

How it works: Trend Micro carries out on-box SSL inspection to reduce blind spots and identify a range of threats. It uses a combination of technologies on a flow-by-flow basis to address a full range of threats.

Who it’s for: Large enterprises and high-capacity networks requiring robust and scalable security solutions.

Benefits: Trend Micro TippingPoint excels in providing comprehensive IPS with effective threat detection and mitigation.

• Offers high performance scalability at a rate of100 Gbps NGIPS in a 1U form factor, scalable to 500 Gbps in a 5U form factor, ensuring top-tier performance for high-capacity networks.
• Delivers complete network visibility and prioritizes threats through deep inspection of network traffic. This allows it to block threats that traditional solutions might miss.
• Carries out on-box SSL inspection to reduce security blind spots created by encrypted traffic, enhancing overall security.
• Provides immediate and ongoing threat protection with out-of-the-box settings and allows reassignment of licenses across deployments, offering adaptability without changing network infrastructure.

The bottom line: Trend Micro TippingPoint is a scalable, high-performance IPS, that delivers comprehensive threat visibility and adaptable deployment options. Its scalable, pay-as-you-go licensing model ensures cost efficiency and stability.

• Trend Micro, founded in 1988 with headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, serves over 500,000 clients worldwide.

Zscaler Cloud IPS offers always-on, cloud-delivered intrusion prevention for enterprise security.

How it works: Zscaler carries out full TLS/SSL inspection, without affecting performance. This drives signature-based detection, policy-based detection, as well as anomaly-based detection.

Who it’s for: Best suited for enterprises seeking a scalable and integrated cloud security solution.

Benefits: Zscaler IPS delivers comprehensive threat protection for users, regardless of their location, with unlimited capacity.

• Zscaler IPS is fully integrated with Zscaler’s security stack, including firewall, sandbox, dip and CASB.
• Cloud-based platform with unlimited inspection capacity, ensuring that all network traffic, including TLS/SSL, is thoroughly inspected, without impacting performance.
• Analyzes of billions of daily requests from millions of users worldwide, providing advanced insights and rapid response.
• Native integration with the Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange platform improves incident response by delivering context-aware alerts and streamlined workflows.
• Global coverage across 150+ data centers ensures fast and reliable performance for a distributed workforce.

The bottom line: Zscaler IPS stands out for its ability to provide robust, always-on threat protection with unlimited scalability and seamless updates.

• Zscaler, based in San Jose, California, serves clients worldwide with a focus on enterprise cloud security services.