Host based intrusion detection systems (HIDS) detect and prevent malicious attacks on computers.
It works similarly to a surveillance system or security alarm installed in your home or business work, monitoring and alerting you in case of possible thefts.
Host Based intrusion detection system (HIDS) monitor and analyze the internals and traffic flowing through computer networks, similar to network-based intrusion detection systems (NIDS). The original target system was the mainframe computer, where outside interaction was rare, so this was the first type of intrusion detection software.
- HIDS work
- HIDS Monitoring
- HIDS protection
- The Differences between HIDS and NIDS
Detecting attacks that bypass perimeter security is essential in an era when cyber threats are more pervasive than ever. HIDS (host-based intrusion detection systems) monitor host devices for malicious activity that could lead to severe breaches if left undetected inside the network perimeter.
Detecting intrusions on servers and workstations is easier with host-based intrusion detection systems. Any unauthorized or anonymity changes to registry settings, logs, or content files are monitored by HIDS, resulting in alerts when they occur.
HIDS technologies aim to identify suspicious activity rather than prevent it since they are passive technologies. Due to this, HIDS systems are often used alongside active intrusion prevention systems (IPS).
A host-based intrusion detection system is commonly deployed alongside a network-based intrusion detection system (NIDS) and a security information and event management system (SIEM), which aggregate and analyze security across different data sources to achieve enhanced security visibility.
What does HIDS work for?
A HIDS system uses a combination of signature-based and anomaly-based detection techniques to detect intrusions. A signature-based detection method compares the signatures in a file with a database that contains signatures that are known to be malicious. This method analyzes system behavior against a baseline of ‘typical’ behavior to detect anomalies in system behavior.
There is a wide range of threats that can be detected by host-based intrusion detection systems, including:
- Unauthorized logins
- Privilege escalation
- Data, configuration, and binary modification
- Installation of unwanted software
- A rogue process
The monitoring process
Ideally, a HIDS should work with a NIDS, setting up a detection mechanism that can detect anything that evades the NIDS.
Intruders who successfully infiltrate a computer system immediately apply best-practice security techniques to secure the system to ensure that other intruders cannot gain access.
Many HIDS allows you to write your own rules for generating alerts. The most important thing to consider when choosing a security system is a set of prewritten rules, which incorporate the expertise of the security experts who developed it.
There are several types of intrusions:
1. The detection of attempted break-ins based on a typical behavior profile or violations of security protocols.
2. It is possible to detect masquerade attacks by observing a typical behavioral pattern or violating security constraints.
3. Monitoring specific activity patterns to detect security control system penetrations.
4. System resources are typically used to detect leakage.
In the case of a host-based intrusion detection system, it can monitor the dynamic behavior and the state of the computer system according to the way it is configured.
A HIDS can perform activities such as dynamically inspecting network packets targeted towards this specific host (an optional component of most commercially available software solutions), as well as detect which programs have been accessing what resources and learn that a word processor has begun to modify the password database of the system. A HIDS can examine the status of a system, its stored information, such as RAM, the file system, log files, or any other place, and ensure that the contents appear as expected, such as an intruder has not changed the contents.
HIDS protection
As a rule, HIDS will take great precautions to prevent tampering with the object database, checksum database, and its reports. A security administrator needs to take appropriate precautions if they are to avoid intruders from modifying the HIDS itself if they succeed in modifying any of the objects the HIDS monitors.
According to their detection methods, both HIDS and NIDS can be classified into two subcategories. They are as follows:
- Anomaly-based detection
- Signature-based detection
The differences between HIDS and NIDS
Intrusion detection systems based on the host are not the only method for detecting intrusions. There are two types of intrusion detection systems sector.
The first sector is HIDS, and the second is network-based intrusion detection systems (NIDS).
The HIDS and NIDS examine system messages, which involves reviewing logs and event messages. As packet data passes through networks, NIDS also inspects it. As a general rule, NIDS captures live data for intrusion detection, while HIDS examines files for intrusion detection.
In contrast to HIDS, NIDS offer a faster response time. NIDS should raise an alert as soon as a suspicious event occurs on the network.