IDS stands for Intrusion Detection System, and is a piece of software used to monitor a network for attempted security breaches. Basically, an IDS is a network sniffer with pattern matching and database of suspicious network activity patterns. These patterns, called fingerprints by some over-zealous marketing departments, can be as simple as an HTTP request for a know vulnerable CGI, or as complex as detecting a 'stealth' port scan.

Some IDS systems can also be used to monitor a network for employee 'misuse' (like visiting Everything at work).

IDS Packages:

Dragon IDS
NetRanger
ISS

IDS is John Moose's fabulous Image Display System, the web photo album once used by none other than every geek's hero, Wil Wheaton, at http://www.wilwheaton.net/ . You can find it by searching freshmeat, or thanks to Source Forge at http://ids.sourceforge.net/ .

Iain Duncan Smith, (former) leader of Britain's Conservative Party, was reportedly known as IDS by his friends. This led to worries that the average voter would not be able to relate to him.

Rumour has it, The Sun newspaper attempted temporarily to nick-name him "Smithy", to give him the image of a people's man.

A typical responce to surveys assessing his popularity when he was in power: "'who??' with a high rising pitch. Then 'Oh... No I didn't know.'"