In this chapter we have covered the basics of what an IDS is, how it works, how to use Snort with IPCop, and additional tools for use with Snort.

At this point we have knowledge of network protection, network monitoring, and at least a basic idea of what we would do if an attack attempt occurs. This puts us in a good situation on our network and ensures we are fully aware of what is going on. As mentioned in the introduction to this chapter, an IDS is supposed to give us a basic overview of the security status of the network—are we being attacked, where is it coming from, and what are the targets.

Armed with this information we can effectively increase the security of our network. Using an automated tool such as this means it is much easier for us to monitor these activities daily and ensure that we are always aware of our surroundings. Knowing how our network functions and what sort of data passes through it daily is an important measure in spotting network intrusions. We cannot be...