What does an intrusion detection system (IDS) monitor?

An intrusion detection system (IDS) primarily monitors network traffic and security breaches to identify potential threats or unauthorized access to a network. It analyzes data packets traveling across the network to detect suspicious patterns that may indicate an attack or compromise. By focusing on network traffic, the IDS can alert administrators to potential security incidents, enabling them to respond effectively to threats before they can cause significant harm to systems or data.

In addition, while user productivity, hardware performance, and software installation processes are important aspects of overall system management and security, they do not directly relate to the primary function of an IDS. User productivity monitoring is more concerned with how effectively users are engaging with their tasks. Hardware performance focuses on the operational status and efficiency of physical components, while software installation processes deal with the management of applications being deployed. These areas are typically monitored by different types of systems or tools rather than an IDS.