IDPS comes with several extra layers of protection, the list is not complete but it represents the 6 most common ways ransomware/ cybercrime is used to bypass a firewall:

1. Windows firewalls leaves a computer wide open to any outgoing communication, even when communicating to known malware-controlled servers, IDPS prevents that.

2. Cyberattacks are coming at you from all places and at all times, it’s relentless and it’s automated. Windows is extremely “user friendly” in that it allows attackers an infinite number of attacks and actually never takes any defensive measures. IDPS does, if a network scan or attack is detected then any and all access from that source is blocked, even if the attacker eventually would “guess” the right login/password combination or port he will never gain access as he is already blacklisted.

3. IDPS is fully automated and actively monitors your computer. it requires no user interaction, no data subscriptions, and therefore no computer skills to stop an attacker.

4. IDPS will detect abnormal communication. If it does, then IDPS will shield your computer and block these computers or smart devices in your office or your home network from harming your computer.

5. IDPS can send automated firewall abuse reports to the Internet Service Providers that are hosting these malicious activities. If after some time the activity doesn’t stop, then IDPS just blocks the whole data center from accessing your computer and your computer from accessing that data center, it’s like they no longer exist.

6. IDPS will block domains and IP addresses from known active malicious and or infected domains. This prevents any application on your computer, and not just browsers, from accessing these infected sites. By blocking these domains IDPS also protects you from other attack vectors like spear-phishing emails or macros that use these sites to download malicious payloads. Being able to block malicious domains is important as a blocked domains can’t be used to infect your system.

The cold hard truth is that an Antivirus application only reacts. An anti-virus application works by checking your files against a list of known virus signatures. Think about it this way, last week’s viruses will make it into next week’s anti-virus definitions. If a virus is new and yet unknown, there is nothing to compare it to. IDPS offers a safe environment for these files to be opened, if they execute malicious code, it will do so without causing harm and you won’t get infected.

No, all products are licensed per machine as it is a machine that is protected. The machine can have several users, they will all be protected, that’s fine.

If IDPS is to blame then there are likely 2 reasons why it does that. Reason 1: You connect via a VPN and the VPN was used to attack you. IDPS blocked the attacker thereby blocking you from accessing the world wide web while using the VPN, perhaps switch connection to another location offered by the VPN provider. Reason 2: IDPS detected that you have been hacked and a hackers installed software to remotely control your computer; b a virus was detected on your computer; c an attempt was made to transfer your confidential files to a server known to be used for data theft or ransomware attacks.

We do not recommend, un-installing IDPS or attempt to bypass its security as it is likely going to result in you loosing control over your computer and data.

We do offer support and assist you regain control over your systems and protect your data. Perhaps give us a call?

First of all, let me answer the 2nd part of your question, Yes IDPS, will work after your subscription expires and you will be able to get security updates for IDPS. Without the subscription however you will no longer receive automated updates of:

1. the ICAN who-is Internet Service Provider data, this reduces the accuracy of knowing who is responsible for facilitating attacks against your system;
2. the proprietary thread database containing our real time collection of systems controlled by malicious actors;
3. the database that contains the domains and IP addresses of malware hosting sites, it’s not a critical database but nice to have as after the subscription expires you can instruct IDPS to “manually” perform the scrubbing of the malware hosting sites for your computer, using your own computer.

Having to data mine the Internet locally will cause IDPS to use more memory and your computer will be “busy”. However, you will stay protected and on a powerful PC this manual processing could be a viable option;

4. notify you when your email gets hacked or your private data is sold on the dark-web, nor do we update the data that’s being offered like social security number, credit cards, physical address, medical data etc. Not affected are the anti-virus capabilities’, nor the protection that is provided from being able to block the dark-web from accessing your PC.