What does Intrusion Prevention analyze to detect attacks?

Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS) are designed to enhance the security of a network by analyzing traffic in real-time to identify and prevent potential threats. The correct answer focuses on the capability of IPS to examine both incoming and outgoing traffic at the packet level. This means that the system inspects every packet of data that traverses the network, looking for patterns or signatures that match known attack vectors or anomalies that could indicate malicious behavior.

By monitoring traffic at such a granular level, the IPS can effectively detect attacks as they occur, thereby preventing them from reaching their intended targets. This comprehensive analysis facilitates a proactive approach to network security, allowing timely responses to potential threats.

The other options do not encapsulate the full functionality of an Intrusion Prevention System. For example, analyzing only outgoing traffic would limit the system’s ability to detect incoming threats. Evaluating application code for vulnerabilities is more aligned with application security assessments rather than the real-time analysis typical of IPS. Lastly, checking network configurations and firewall rules pertains to network security hygiene but does not specifically relate to the traffic analysis performed by an IPS for active intrusion detection and prevention.