Which tool is commonly used to inspect network traffic and can be deployed inline for protection?

Which tool is commonly used to inspect network traffic and can be deployed inline for protection?

• A. Snort inline
• B. Nmap
• C. Burp Suite
• D. Wireshark

Answer: (A)

Snort in inline mode is designed to inspect every packet as it traverses the network and enforce protections based on its rule set. When placed inline, Snort acts as an intrusion prevention system: it analyzes traffic against signatures and policies, and it can drop, reject, or reset connections that match malicious patterns, effectively stopping attacks in real time while providing alerts. This capability is why it’s commonly used for protection in addition to detection. Other tools serve different purposes: Nmap is a network scanner used to map hosts and services, not to inspect and block traffic; Burp Suite is a web application testing proxy for analyzing and manipulating web traffic, not a general network IPS; Wireshark is a packet analyzer for passive visibility and troubleshooting, not something that blocks traffic in real time.

Snort in inline mode is designed to inspect every packet as it traverses the network and enforce protections based on its rule set. When placed inline, Snort acts as an intrusion prevention system: it analyzes traffic against signatures and policies, and it can drop, reject, or reset connections that match malicious patterns, effectively stopping attacks in real time while providing alerts.

This capability is why it’s commonly used for protection in addition to detection. Other tools serve different purposes: Nmap is a network scanner used to map hosts and services, not to inspect and block traffic; Burp Suite is a web application testing proxy for analyzing and manipulating web traffic, not a general network IPS; Wireshark is a packet analyzer for passive visibility and troubleshooting, not something that blocks traffic in real time.