Which technology monitors the traffic coming in and out of a network?

Which technology monitors the traffic coming in and out of a network?

• A. Network-Based IDS (NIDS)
• B. Host-Based IDS (HIDS)
• C. XML Gateway
• D. Reverse Proxy (Inbound traffic)

Answer: (A)

Monitoring traffic on a network is primarily what a Network-Based IDS does. It sits on the network path—typically at the edge or between segments—and watches the traffic flowing across that segment. By inspecting packet headers and payloads, it can apply signatures to detect known attack patterns and use anomaly detection to spot unusual behavior, then alert or block suspicious activity. This provides visibility into what’s coming in and going out across the network as a whole, not just on a single device. In contrast, a host-based IDS watches activity on a single device rather than the entire network, so it won’t provide the same broad view. An XML gateway specializes in XML data handling and security, not broad network traffic monitoring. A reverse proxy sits in front of servers to forward requests and manage client connections; while it can inspect some inbound traffic, its primary role is not ongoing network-wide monitoring for security events.

Monitoring traffic on a network is primarily what a Network-Based IDS does. It sits on the network path—typically at the edge or between segments—and watches the traffic flowing across that segment. By inspecting packet headers and payloads, it can apply signatures to detect known attack patterns and use anomaly detection to spot unusual behavior, then alert or block suspicious activity. This provides visibility into what’s coming in and going out across the network as a whole, not just on a single device.

In contrast, a host-based IDS watches activity on a single device rather than the entire network, so it won’t provide the same broad view. An XML gateway specializes in XML data handling and security, not broad network traffic monitoring. A reverse proxy sits in front of servers to forward requests and manage client connections; while it can inspect some inbound traffic, its primary role is not ongoing network-wide monitoring for security events.