Deception technology software is designed to help detect, analyze, and protect against unknown threats by tricking threat actors into thinking they have discovered zero-day or other vulnerabilities. These tools use decoys, traps, lures, honeypots, and other deceptively attractive data sources the attacker may consider valuable. This bait is visible to the attacker and alerts security teams when they have taken the bait. Security teams can then cut off access and investigate the attacker’s behavior. Companies use these tools to allow hackers into their systems to monitor their behavior with the goal to better understand their navigation paths, operational mechanisms, and targets. In effect, this software helps provide the company with information on vulnerabilities by offering a better understanding of threat vectors and vulnerabilities of their own systems, applications, and networks.
Deception technology products are typically standalone solutions purpose-built for deception and investigation. Occasionally, data loss prevention (DLP) software and network security software may have some features to insert traps or lures but these do not compare to the same variety of decoys as deception-specific technology platforms.
To qualify for inclusion in the Deception Technology category, a product must:
Provide decoys, lures, and traps to deceive attackers
Alert security teams of attacks and monitor for said attacks
Monitor and report attacker behaviors and navigation paths
Offer tools for vulnerability, risk, and forensic analysis