IDS mailing list archives
Re: True definition of Intrusion Prevention
From: "Brad McGary" <bmcgary () secondfront net>
Date: Mon, 5 Jan 2004 14:12:31 -0600
I agree with your comments but would offer the thought process regarding the structure of an attack scenario. Most attacks start with recon and end with target specific exploits. I've been using a commercial version of Hogwash for about two years and have significantly reduced the number of successful attacks launched against our environments by preventing the more prolific recon tools from returning target intelligence. As for the worm attacks we've been relatively successful at stopping these since they mostly utilize exploits which have mature snort signatures. In the end there's no panacea and we see our share of false positives and false negatives I'm sure. Please take these comments as just my specific experience and understand I certainly don't want to engage in any heated debates. ----- Original Message ----- From: "George Capehart" <gwc () acm org> To: "Gary Flynn" <flynngn () jmu edu> Cc: <focus-ids () securityfocus com> Sent: Tuesday, December 30, 2003 5:02 PM Subject: Re: True definition of Intrusion Prevention On Tuesday 30 December 2003 08:05 am, Gary Flynn wrote:
Teicher, Mark (Mark) wrote:What is the difference between Intrusion Detection, Intrusion Prevention at the high level.Having the ability to block a detected attack instead of just reporting on it.
That's not intrusion *prevention*, it's intrusion *blocking*. ;-) I'm being pedantic here for two reasons: a) I think the definition you have provided is the one that the marketeers implicitly use, and b) *blocking* an attack in process is */not/* the same as preventing an attack in the first place. An attack is */prevented/* if it doesn't or can't happen. There are two broad classes of means of preventing attacks: a) take out the attacker(s) before they attack or b) harden the target such that it is not vulnerable to the attack. Don't get me wrong, I don't have a problem with "intrusion blocking" if it is successful . . . that is, if the attack is detected in time and the appropriate "blocking mechanisms" are available. I'd just rather call a duck a duck . . . ;-) I think it is possible to build an "intrusion blocking device." Intrusion prevention is a process. (Apologies to Bruce Schneier ;-) ) I wouldn't have taken this up, but I think it is more important to make the distinction between "blocking" and "prevention" than is made in the hype. They just aren't equivalent. Preventing an attack means that action has been taken to keep the attack from happening. Blocking an attack means that the attack has been launched and one hopes that one has all of the mechanisms in place necessary to keep the attack from succeeding . . . My $0.02 USD. Best regards, George Capehart --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current thread:
- Re: True definition of Intrusion Prevention George Capehart (Jan 02)
- Re: True definition of Intrusion Prevention Mike Poor (Jan 02)
- Re: True definition of Intrusion Prevention Brad McGary (Jan 05)
- Re: True definition of Intrusion Prevention George Capehart (Jan 05)
- <Possible follow-ups>
- RE: True definition of Intrusion Prevention Teicher, Mark (Mark) (Jan 02)
- Re: True definition of Intrusion Prevention George Capehart (Jan 02)
- RE: True definition of Intrusion Prevention Brian Taylor (Jan 05)
- Re: True definition of Intrusion Prevention Gary Flynn (Jan 05)
- Re: True definition of Intrusion Prevention George Capehart (Jan 02)
- RE: True definition of Intrusion Prevention Teicher, Mark (Mark) (Jan 05)
- RE: True definition of Intrusion Prevention Bohling James CONT JBC (Jan 05)
- RE: True definition of Intrusion Prevention Teicher, Mark (Mark) (Jan 05)
- Re: True definition of Intrusion Prevention George Capehart (Jan 05)
- RE: True definition of Intrusion Prevention Teicher, Mark (Mark) (Jan 05)
(Thread continues...)