The correct answer is C — Intrusion prevention system.

WGU Cybersecurity Architecture and Engineering (KFO1 / D488) states that an Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) actively monitors network traffic and can block malicious activity in real-time. It can enforce rules like blocking an IP address after multiple failed SSH login attempts, stopping brute force attacks.

DLP (A) focuses on preventing sensitive data loss. A firewall (B) controls network traffic but generally does not automatically block based on login attempts unless highly customized. File integrity monitoring (D) watches file changes, not login attempts.

Reference Extract from Study Guide:

"An intrusion prevention system (IPS) monitors network traffic for malicious activities and can automatically block connections that meet predefined suspicious criteria."

— WGU Cybersecurity Architecture and Engineering (KFO1 / D488), Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems

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