Why Cyber Deception is NOT new

Honeypots and Tarpits - Defending Networks from Attackers

In the ever-expanding digital landscape, where information is both power and vulnerability, the art of cybersecurity has constantly evolved to counter the persistent threats posed by attackers. Among the ingenious tools devised to safeguard networks, honeypots, and tarpits stand out as fascinating innovations. Let's journey through the annals of cybersecurity to explore the origins, evolution, and significance of these deceptive yet potent defenses.

The Dawn of Deception

The concept of honeypots, an early cyber deception, emerged in the late 1980s. Hopepots are traps designed to lure cybercriminals, allowing security professionals to observe their tactics, techniques, and procedures without risking critical systems. The honeypot mimicked vulnerable systems, enticing hackers to interact with them leaving valuable traces of their activities behind. My first deployments of honeypots in the 1990s were to catch criminals inside networks to block and eradicate them faster.

Tarpits Entering the Scene

Around the same time that honeypots appeared, tarpits made their debut. A tarpit is a service or system designed to deliberately slow down or trap attackers in a quagmire of unending interactions. By responding slowly to connection attempts, tarpits ensnared malicious entities, holding them captive and preventing them from wreaking havoc on real systems.

The Rise of Honeynet Project

In 1999, the cybersecurity community witnessed a significant milestone with the establishment of the Honeynet Project. This global initiative aimed to enhance the understanding of cyber threats by deploying honeypots and sharing the gathered intelligence openly. The project advanced honeypot technology and fostered collaborative efforts among security experts worldwide.

LaBrea and the Era of Tarpits

In the early 2000s, LaBrea, a groundbreaking tarpit tool, was introduced. Developed by Tom Liston, LaBrea created virtual sticky traps that slowed down scanning malware. By wasting attackers' time and resources, tarpits became an essential component of network defenses, serving as a precursor to modern intrusion prevention systems. I used several LaBrea systems in various gaming companies throughout the 2000s, making them appear as juicy client databases and credit card systems. If you want to find out just how good they were, ask Amar Singh , he seconded for me for a while as my standin CISO. One of the best I had the pleasure of.

Modern Honeypots and Tarpits

As technology advanced, so did the sophistication of cyber threats. Modern honeypots and tarpits have become highly intelligent and dynamic. High-interaction honeypots emulate entire systems, allowing security professionals to study real-world attacks in a controlled environment. Low-interaction honeypots simulate specific services, efficiently detecting automated scanning activities.

Tarpits continued to evolve, and have become amazing tools capable of detecting and mitigating distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. I wrote about them in 2005 in a whitepaper on "the evolution of DDoS and Defence". By redirecting malicious traffic into a sinkhole, tarpits prevent attackers from overwhelming genuine network resources, ensuring uninterrupted services for legitimate users.

The Significance Today

In today's digital age, where cyber threats are omnipresent and diverse, honeypots and tarpits remain indispensable tools for cybersecurity professionals. They offer valuable insights into adversaries' tactics, enabling organisations to fortify their defenses proactively. Moreover, by diverting and neutralizing malicious intent, these deceptive technologies act as vital shields, preserving the integrity and functionality of critical systems.

The history of honeypots and tarpits showcases the cybersecurity community's ingenuity and determination to stay one step ahead of cybercriminals. It also highlights how the sales rhetoric is cyclical in Cyber Security. These deceptive defenses have shaped modern cybersecurity strategies from humble beginnings to cutting-edge technologies. Still, they are not "new." As long as digital threats persist, honeypots and tarpits will continue to evolve, ensuring that networks remain secure and the defenders stay vigilant against the ever-changing landscape of cyber threats.