What type of software is used by IPS to monitor traffic for harmful activity?

The correct answer is that intrusion prevention systems (IPS) utilize security software to monitor network traffic for harmful activities. This type of software is specifically designed to detect potential threats by analyzing data packets and identifying patterns that suggest malicious behaviors, such as unauthorized access attempts or the presence of malware.

Security software encompasses a broad range of functions that include not only monitoring but also protecting networked systems against various forms of cyber threats. An IPS, in particular, actively intervenes by blocking or preventing the traffic that is identified as a potential threat in real-time, which is crucial to maintaining the integrity of a network.

When considering the other options, while firewalls do help control the flow of traffic within networks, they primarily focus on filtering between trusted and untrusted networks rather than specifically identifying malicious activities. Network management software generally focuses on maintaining network health and performance rather than security monitoring. Access control solutions deal with permission levels for users and devices, rather than actively monitoring or preventing attacks on the network. Thus, security software is the most fitting choice for an IPS monitoring harmful activities.