What does a Host-based Intrusion Prevention System (HIPS) primarily do?

A Host-based Intrusion Prevention System (HIPS) focuses on monitoring activities and ensuring the integrity of files within a specific host or endpoint. By keeping a close eye on internal system activities, such as application behavior and file modifications, HIPS can identify signs of intrusive behavior or policy violations. The critical function of HIPS is to analyze these activities and enforce security policies at the host level, allowing it to take proactive measures like blocking potential threats or alerting system administrators.

This proactive approach allows organizations to safeguard sensitive information by protecting each individual device against malicious behaviors that may not be detected by network-level defenses. Such systems are essential for detecting unauthorized changes to files and defending against attacks that may exploit vulnerabilities within the host itself, making their role crucial in a comprehensive security strategy.