CompTIA Cloud+ Practice Test

What is the purpose of an Intrusion Detection System (IDS)?

1. To actively prevent intrusions

2. To monitor network traffic for malicious activity

3. To manage virtual machines

4. To allocate resources dynamically

The correct answer is: To monitor network traffic for malicious activity

The purpose of an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) is to monitor network traffic for malicious activity. An IDS operates by analyzing data traffic, identifying patterns that indicate suspicious behavior or potential attacks, and alerting administrators when such activity occurs. This enables organizations to respond to threats quickly and take appropriate measures to secure their systems. While some other systems, such as an Intrusion Prevention System (IPS), are designed to actively block or prevent intrusions, an IDS focuses solely on detection and monitoring, which provides valuable insights into the security posture of the network. By capturing and analyzing this data, security teams can improve their defenses and investigate incidents after they occur. The other options are not relevant to the primary role of an IDS. Managing virtual machines and dynamically allocating resources pertain to cloud management and virtualization technologies, while actively preventing intrusions would describe the function of an IPS rather than an IDS.