What type of data does an IDS typically monitor?

An Intrusion Detection System (IDS) is designed to monitor network and system activities to identify and alert on potential malicious behaviors or security incidents. This includes a wide range of data such as incoming and outgoing network traffic, user activity, system logs, and even configuration changes. By analyzing patterns and anomalies within this aggregated data, an IDS can effectively detect suspicious actions that may signify a breach, an attack, or other forms of unauthorized access.

The focus on monitoring both network and system activities is crucial, as each environment can exhibit signs of intrusion that the other might not capture independently. Therefore, recognizing various indicators across these domains enhances the system’s ability to identify threats and respond appropriately.

The other choices are too narrow in focus, either limiting the context to only external or internal sources or ignoring the critical aspect of behavior analysis in data packets. A comprehensive approach in monitoring allows an IDS to fulfill its primary purpose of securing systems effectively.