What is a major concern addressed by Host-based Intrusion Detection Systems (HIDS)?

Host-based Intrusion Detection Systems (HIDS) focus primarily on monitoring and analyzing the activities and behaviors occurring within a specific host or endpoint within a network. A major concern they address is file integrity monitoring. HIDS achieves this by examining the integrity and state of files and system configurations, ensuring that they have not been altered in unauthorized ways. By checking for changes in critical system files and configurations, HIDS helps detect potential security breaches or malicious activities that could compromise the integrity of a system.

In contrast, other areas such as network traffic analysis, data loss prevention, and user behavior analysis, while essential aspects of cybersecurity, do not fall under the primary function of HIDS. Network traffic analysis focuses on monitoring traffic moving across networks, data loss prevention aims to prevent sensitive information from being lost or exfiltrated, and user behavior analysis evaluates the activities of users to identify anomalies. These functions would typically be managed by other types of security tools or systems, highlighting why file integrity monitoring is a core concern addressed by HIDS.