What are the benefits of placing an Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) inline within a network?

Placing an Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) inline within a network provides several key benefits, particularly in terms of active prevention measures. An IPS monitors network traffic in real-time and can automatically take action to block or remediate threats before they reach their intended targets. This proactive approach to security means that the system not only detects threats but also prevents them from causing harm, thereby providing a strong layer of defense.

However, it's important to recognize that placing an IPS inline can create a single point of failure within the network architecture. If the IPS experiences a failure or is overwhelmed by high volumes of network traffic, it could disrupt the entire flow of network traffic, potentially leading to outages or a failure to protect against intrusions. Therefore, while inline deployment enhances security through immediate threat mitigation, it also requires careful planning and redundancy strategies to ensure that the IPS does not become a bottleneck or point of vulnerability in the network.

The other options, while they may present benefits in separate scenarios or configurations, do not capture the primary advantage of an inline IPS, which is its active intervention and threat prevention capabilities. The combination of these features makes option A the most appropriate choice for highlighting the benefits of an inline IPS.