CompTIA CASP+ Practice Test

Where should a Network Intrusion Prevention System (NIPS) be positioned to best monitor traffic effectively?

1. Behind the firewall and in the DMZ.

2. In front of the Internet firewall and in front of the DMZs.

3. On the network's internal router.

4. At each endpoint device.

The correct answer is: In front of the Internet firewall and in front of the DMZs.

Positioning a Network Intrusion Prevention System (NIPS) in front of the Internet firewall and in front of the DMZs provides the most effective monitoring of incoming and outgoing traffic. By placing the NIPS at this strategic location, it can analyze all the traffic attempting to enter or exit the network before it passes through the firewall or reaches the DMZ. This setup allows the NIPS to identify and respond to potential security threats in real-time, effectively blocking malicious traffic before it can breach further into the network infrastructure. The positioning at the network's edge, particularly in front of firewalls, is critical because it enables the NIPS to evaluate traffic patterns and detect intrusion attempts that may go undetected by firewalls alone, which primarily focus on allowing or denying traffic based on predefined rules. By having an additional layer of threat detection and prevention here, the organization strengthens its defense against attacks that could compromise sensitive systems or data located in the DMZ or the internal network. Other locations mentioned, such as behind the firewall and in the DMZ, are less effective because the firewall may already allow certain types of traffic that could be harmful or preclude the NIPS from blocking it before it reaches critical systems. Positioning the NIPS on the internal router