Intrusion Detection on a Large Network

This paper will describe in detail the steps for setting up and managing an intrusion detection system across a large corporate network. It will begin with a discussion of the potential problems and benefits of the use of a NIDS on a large network. The basics of installing, configuring and implementing the necessary software on a hypothetical network will be covered. Additional steps to automate, fail-safe and secure the system will be described. Finally, a brief discussion of the potential difficulties of tuning a rule-based system such as Snort that is deployed on a large, heterogeneous, well-secured network will be presented.