“Honeypot” In “Cybersecurity”?

Blog By:  Priyanka Rana

Topic: Honey Pot

What is #Honeypots?

A honeypot is a cybersecurity mechanism or system designed to attract and trap malicious actors, such as hackers and malware, in a controlled environment. The primary purpose of a honeypot is to gather information about the tactics, techniques, and methods employed by cybercriminals, as well as to divert and contain their activities away from critical systems.

How does Honeypots work?

*Example: Web Server Honeypot*

Imagine a company wants to protect its web servers from potential cyberattacks. They decide to set up a honeypot alongside their real web servers. Here’s how it works:

1. *Deployment:* The company deploys a honeypot web server that mimics the appearance of a real web server. It runs a web server software (e.g., Apache or Nginx) and hosts a website that looks like a typical, but slightly outdated, corporate site.

2. *Attracting Attackers:* To make the honeypot enticing to attackers, they configure it with known vulnerabilities. For example, they might use an older version of the web server software that has known security flaws. They might also set up a fake login page, tempting attackers to try common usernames and passwords.

3. *Monitoring and Logging:* The honeypot is equipped with extensive monitoring and logging tools. It records all incoming connections, requests, and interactions with the fake website.

4. *Alerts and Notifications:* Whenever the honeypot detects suspicious activity, like a hacker trying to exploit a known vulnerability or attempting to guess login credentials, it generates alerts and sends notifications to the company’s security team.

5. *Data Collection:* As attackers interact with the honeypot, it collects data, such as the IP addresses of the attackers, the methods they use to compromise the server, and any malware they might upload. This information is valuable for understanding the tactics and tools used by cybercriminals.

6. *Isolation:* The honeypot is isolated from the company’s actual web servers. Even if an attacker manages to compromise the honeypot, it can’t be used as a pathway to access the company’s critical systems.

7. *Analysis and Response:* Security analysts examine the data collected from the honeypot. They might discover that attackers are targeting a specific vulnerability, which prompts them to patch the real web servers or update intrusion detection systems to block those attack patterns.

In this example, the web server honeypot serves as bait to lure potential attackers away from the company’s actual web servers, giving the security team a chance to learn about emerging threats and take proactive measures to protect their infrastructure. It’s an illustration of how honeypots can be used as a security tool to gain insights into the tactics of malicious actors.