ResorsIT Uses Suricata For Intrusion Detection and Prevention
Suricata is a high performance, open source network analysis and threat detection software used by many private and public organizations, and embedded by major vendors to protect their assets. It acts as a network threat detection engine that operates as both an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) and an Intrusion Prevention System (IPS). It inspects network traffic using deep packet inspection (DPI), signature-based detection, and behavioral anomaly detection.
Intrusion Detection
Suricata functions as a passive monitoring tool when used as an IDS, analyzing network traffic and generating alerts when malicious activity is detected.
Signature-Based Threat Detection
- Uses Snort-compatible rules to detect known attacks.
- Supports Emerging Threats and Custom Rule Sets.
Protocol & Deep Packet Inspection (DPI)
- Decodes and analyzes protocols such as HTTP, TLS, DNS, SMB, FTP, SSH.
- Identifies anomalies, protocol misuse, or suspicious behaviors.
File Extraction & Malware Analysis
- Can extract files from network traffic for further analysis.
- Detects malicious payloads in file transfers.
Anomaly & Behavioral Detection
- Identifies unusual traffic patterns.
- Helps detect zero-day attacks and Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs).
High-Performance Packet Capture
- Uses AF_PACKET, PF_RING, and DPDK for high-speed traffic processing.
- Supports multi-threading to handle large traffic volumes efficiently.
Intrusion Prevention
When deployed as an IPS, Suricata actively blocks malicious traffic instead of just detecting it.
Inline Mode Blocking
- Drops or modifies packets in real time using NFQUEUE (Linux) or IPFW (BSD).
- Prevents malicious activity before it reaches internal systems.
Automatic Rule-Based Blocking
- Uses signature-based blocking to stop attacks like:
- SQL injection
- Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
- Malware downloads
- Exploit attempts
Network Traffic Shaping & Rate Limiting
- Controls network traffic based on defined rules.
- Can prevent DDoS attacks by limiting the rate of incoming connections.
TLS/SSL Inspection
- Can decrypt and analyze encrypted traffic (with proper key access).
- Detects malicious activity hiding within HTTPS traffic.
Threat Intelligence Integration
Can ingest Threat Feeds (e.g., IP blacklists, domain blocklists) for proactive defense. Supports Suricata-Update for keeping detection rules up to date.
Benefits Of Suricata Over Other IDS/IPS Solutions
- Multi-threaded Processing: Faster than single-threaded alternatives like Snort.
- Broader Protocol Support: More extensive DPI compared to older tools.
- Flexible Deployment: Works in IDS, IPS, or even passive network monitoring modes.
- Scalability: Can handle high-throughput networks.
More details on Suricata are available at their website linked here.