A honeypot is a decoy system or network used to detect, divert, or counter cyber attacks by attracting and analyzing attacker or malware behavior.

What is honeypot?

Honeypot is a cybersecurity technique that acts as a digital decoy—an intentionally vulnerable system, service, or network segment designed to lure attackers. Instead of targeting real systems, hackers interact with the honeypot, allowing security teams to monitor and analyze their behavior in a controlled environment. Honeypots are valuable for detecting new attack methods and providing early warnings of intrusion attempts.

How honeypot appears in practice

Real-world applications of honeypots:

• Fake mail server placed in a public-facing network attracts spambots and SMTP abuse attempts.
• Simulated login page captures bot-driven credential stuffing attacks.
• Virtual server with open ports mimics weak infrastructure to attract scans and exploits.
• Recording brute-force attempts using default or weak passwords.
• Tracking exploit attempts against patched vulnerabilities, revealing attackers’ tactics.

While honeypots serve as bait, their true value lies in the intelligence gathered. They help organizations understand what kinds of threats are actively targeting their environment and how attackers behave once inside a system.

Honeypot vs. related terms

• Honeypot vs. firewall – firewall blokuje nebo filtruje provoz, honeypot aktivně přitahuje útoky.
• Honeypot vs. IDS (intrusion detection system) – IDS passively monitors; honeypots actively engage attackers.
• Honeypot vs. honeynet – A honeynet is a network of multiple honeypots that simulate an entire infrastructure.

Each tool serves a different purpose. Honeypots are best used for detection, analysis, and deception, not real-time protection. They're particularly effective for uncovering stealthy or targeted attacks that bypass traditional defenses.

How to implement or assess honeypot in your company

Recommended steps:

1. Choose a honeypot type – basic (low-interaction) or advanced (high-interaction).
2. Define your goals – e.g., monitoring brute-force attempts, catching bots, or analyzing targeted attacks.
3. Deploy it in an isolated environment – never on the same network as production systems.
4. Set up robust monitoring and logging – ensure every interaction is captured.
5. Analyze data regularly – update defenses based on the threats observed.

Honeypots are powerful but must be carefully managed. If misconfigured, they could be hijacked and used in further attacks. They don’t replace firewalls or endpoint protection, but they do provide insights you won’t get anywhere else—especially valuable for proactive cybersecurity and threat intelligence.