What Are Honeypots In Network SecurityWhat Are Honeypots In Network Security
As cyber threats continue to evolve, program developers and white hat hackers also have to work double-time to ensure their cybersecurity efforts are always one step ahead. So much so that they also make use of a decoy-based intrusion-detection technology known as “honeypots” to thwart the efforts of cybercriminals.
So what are honeypots in network security? And how can it be used to detect unauthorized access in your network? If you’re interested to know more, we invite you to continue reading as we’ll look into this technology as a crucial component in network intrusion protection.
Honeypot Defined
In network security or computing, the term “honeypot” refers to a security mechanism or a network-attached system that acts as a decoy to attract or lure cyber hackers to a particular network system. The purpose of intentional system compromise is to allow your team to learn from their method of hacking being used to exploit vulnerabilities and come up with a solution to improve your company’s network security policies further.
Honeypots have long been used by cybersecurity experts to know more about the behavioral patterns of the attacker and to collect intelligence on how cyber hackers operate. And unlike the usual cybersecurity measures, honeypots can also lessen the risk of having false positives because they mostly attract real intrusion activities.
While honeypots may vary in terms of design and deployment, they’re all decoys made to look like legitimate vulnerable networks to bait cybercriminals.
How Does It Work
For example, if you’re the head of your company’s IT department, you can instruct your team to set up a honeypot network that looks like your company’s real network to outsiders. Then by monitoring the traffic that goes in and out of the honeypot network, you and your IT technicians the ‘modus operandi’ that cybercriminals do to compromise your system, their behavioral patterns, and the purpose of launching the cyber attack.
More importantly, this technology allows you to identify which of the implemented security measures are working and which ones have to be fine-tuned further.
Honeypots can also be provided by a company that provides network security to keep your company safe from system compromise.
Types Of Honeypot Design Models
- Production Honeypots – This mechanism serves as a decoy system within a fully operating server and network which usually is a part of the IDS (intrusion detection system). Their role is to deflect the attention of cybercriminals from your real system while evaluating the malicious activity to mitigate vulnerabilities.
- Research Honeypots – This type of honeypot is deployed for security enhancement and educational purposes as it has trackable data that activates when stolen so you can trace it and analyze the attack.
Types Of Honeypot Deployment Methods
- Pure Honeypots – Monitors attacks using bug taps.
- Low-Interaction Honeypots – Acts similar to your system and services to lure attackers from conducting malicious activity. It also collects data from blind cyber attacks like worms malware and botnets.
- High-Interaction Honeypots – This is a complex type of deployment that behaves and looks like your real network. And it allows full intentional system compromise so you can gather extensive cybersecurity insights. However, high-interaction honeypots are high maintenance and will require additional technologies like virtual programs to ensure hackers won’t be able to access your actual network.
Check out LookingPoint’s website today if you need professional help in maintaining your network security for your business.