What is the primary function of an Intrusion Prevention System (IPS)?

An Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) is designed to actively block or prevent identified threats in real-time as they occur on the network. The primary function of an IPS involves not just the detection of potential security incidents but also taking immediate actions to mitigate those threats. This can include dropping malicious packets, blocking the source IP, or providing alerts to system administrators about the threat.

While monitoring network traffic is a part of the IPS's functionality, the key differentiator from a mere monitoring system is the active response to eliminate threats before they can cause harm. Authenticating user identities pertains to access management and is not a function of an IPS. Maintaining system performance and speed is more related to overall network management practices rather than the security-focused role of an IPS. Therefore, the primary role of an IPS is to ensure that security incidents are not just detected but also actively prevented in real-time.