The Impact of IPS and Firewall Placement on Network Security and Performance

The deployment of Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS) and firewalls plays a crucial role in safeguarding network infrastructures against malicious activities. However, the strategic placement of IPS within a network architecture can significantly influence both security effectiveness and network performance. This research work explores the significance of correct IPS and firewall placement within network architectures to enhance security posture while minimizing performance impacts. In this work, we investigate the best placement of IPS on the network for security and performance by examining various deployment scenarios. We also consider factors such as system load, network visibility, traffic flow, security policy enforcement, and scalability. This is conducted by simulating various attacks on different deployments and conducting an empirical analysis to compare the statistical outcomes. We also investigate the implications of placement strategies on threat detection, latency, throughput, and overall network resilience.