What do intrusion detection systems NOT need in order to operate effectively?

Intrusion detection systems (IDS) primarily focus on monitoring network traffic and identifying suspicious activity or potential threats to the system. While network traffic logs and intrusion detection signatures are critical components for an IDS to operate effectively—allowing it to analyze real-time data and compare it against established patterns of known threats—vulnerability scan results are not essential for the core functionality of an IDS.

Vulnerability scan results provide information about potential weaknesses within a system that can be exploited, but the IDS itself does not require this information to perform its primary job, which is to detect unauthorized access or anomalous behavior based on observed traffic patterns. Therefore, while useful for a comprehensive security approach, vulnerability scan results are not a fundamental requirement for the operation of an IDS.

The other options—network traffic logs, intrusion detection signatures, and system configuration details—are essential for the detection and analysis processes that an IDS undertakes to recognize and respond to potential intrusions effectively.