What potential risks are mitigated by using Firebox's IPS feature?

The IPS (Intrusion Prevention System) feature of Firebox is designed to actively monitor and protect the network from various types of threats. The primary function of IPS is to detect and prevent unauthorized access attempts and other malicious activities by analyzing traffic patterns and using signatures of known threats to identify potential intrusions. By doing this, the IPS helps secure the network perimeter, ensuring that only legitimate users and authorized access are allowed.

While unauthorized access is a significant risk that IPS addresses, it also plays a role in recognizing and blocking various types of attacks, such as denial-of-service (DoS) attacks, malware attempts, and exploitation of vulnerabilities. This functionality allows organizations to maintain the integrity and confidentiality of their network, reducing the overall risk of a security breach.

The other options, while they highlight important aspects of network security, do not accurately represent the primary function of the IPS feature. Data encryption is a different security measure, typically associated with securing data in transit or at rest rather than active intrusion prevention. Although intrusion detection is a part of the overall functionality of IPS, referring to intrusion detection only does not encompass the preventive aspect, which is critical. Network performance issues may arise from various factors, but IPS is primarily focused on threat detection and prevention rather than performance