What device monitors a company's inbound and outbound network activity and identifies suspicious patterns of activity that might indicate an attack?

• A. Encryption
• B. Intrusion Detection System
• C. VPN
• D. Intrusion Prevention System

Answer: (B)

Monitoring inbound and outbound network activity to spot suspicious patterns is what an Intrusion Detection System does. An IDS watches traffic, analyzes it for known attack signatures or unusual behavior, and raises alerts when something looks like a potential breach. It’s focused on detection and notification, not blocking.

Encryption and VPNs protect data and the privacy of communications, but they don’t watch for or identify threats. An Intrusion Prevention System also monitors traffic and can block threats automatically, but the question emphasizes recognizing suspicious activity, not taking automatic action to stop it.