The IDS is an intrusion detection system that helps people quickly identify potential security breaches in a device or network. There are several types of IDS, the main ones being HIDS and NIDS. These IDSs are focused on different analytics and data control. For all IDSs, the main advantage is a quick notification system about an attack or file deletion. Saving time and committing changes allows administrators to take action to protect information as soon as possible.
NIDS analyze incoming and internal network traffic; the purpose of the analysis is to detect malicious activity. However, when port coverage is disabled, additional sensors should be installed, and this is the main problem of NIDS (Magalhaes, 2018). This is due to the fact that the switch does not directly transmit the packet to the entire network, but only to the recipient. This arguably makes working with NIDS difficult, forcing administrators to do extra work.
HIDS are tools that control the operation of individual devices. Typically, HIDS captures the status of all files hosted on an endpoint and informs the administrator when system objects are removed or modified. In addition, this kind of IDS checks all data packets transmitted to or from the device (Magalhaes, 2018). HIDS usually has advantages over NIDS, and administrators find that HIDS is ideal for laptops, servers, and workstations.
HIDS and NIDS can be compared in different ways, and analytics show that HIDS more often outperforms or is not inferior to NIDS, at least. HIDS protects files even if the administrator is disconnected from the LAN because HIDS is installed on the device directly. The ideas about the universality of HIDS are also connected with this fact. HIDS and NIDS are equally easy to implement and easy to control (Magalhaes, 2018). The most important advantage of HIDS is that it is not necessary to go through training before using it. This makes HIDS the most desirable for most administrators, along with the price of HIDS, which is significantly lower than NIDS. NIDS also uses the bandwidth of the LAN, which leads to increased requirements for it.
The general advice for administrators is to use HIDS and NIDS together on firewalls and clients, even though it may seem reasonable to use only HIDS. In the modern world, protecting information from intruders is equivalent to protecting money from criminals. Many layers of protection can save the administrator and files that devices keep safe. In the case of using HIDS and NIDS, the first one will provide protection in a complex, and the second one will solve local issues (Magalhaes, 2018). The combined use of HIDS and NIDS will provide an effective and fast alarm when a breach is detected.
A good helper in using IDSs are logs that record everything that happens to the network and device over time. As IDSs with different coverage, HIDS and NIDS maintain logs with varying detail. However, the detail can be adjusted by the administrator so as not to be overloaded with unnecessary data (Magalhaes, 2018). Typically, HIDS has very detailed logs containing information about all machines, even if these machines are away from the network.
When installing protective anti-virus programs, administrators need to think about auxiliary ways to detect intruders who want to steal data. Disappointing statistics record that more than 90% of the networks on which the IDS and anti-virus program were launched contain security bugs (Magalhaes, 2018). Despite attempts to save networks, IDS finds and signals gaps. At the same time, more than 95% of companies do not spend money on installing and maintaining IDS, and also do not train employees to work with IDS (Magalhaes, 2018). Full data protection requires comprehensive analysis that HIDS and NIDS can provide, but this requires special care on the part of administrators.