How do firewalls and IDS/IPS differ in function

• A. Firewalls Enforce Allowed Traffic Based On Rules; IDS/IPS Detect And Sometimes Block Malicious Traffic By Analyzing Content And Patterns
• B. Firewalls Anonymize Traffic; IDS/IPS Replace Routers
• C. Firewalls Scan Emails; IDS/IPS Encrypt Data
• D. Firewalls Do Not Inspect Traffic; IDS/IPS Are The Only Control

Answer: (B)

Firewalls enforce access controls by filtering traffic according to rules. They decide whether to permit or drop packets based on factors like source and destination addresses, ports, protocol, and session state. IDS/IPS, on the other hand, monitor traffic to spot malicious activity: an IDS detects and raises alerts about suspicious patterns, while an IPS can automatically block or modify traffic that matches known threats. So, a firewall decides if a connection is allowed at all, whereas IDS/IPS analyze the content and behavior within traffic to identify and stop threats. The description that firewalls anonymize traffic or that IDS/IPS replace routers isn’t accurate, and other options about scanning emails or encrypting data describe different security functions.