Honeypots: Tracking Hackers

Chapter 4. The Value of Honeypots

Now that we have defined honeypots and how they work, we can attempt to establish their value. As mentioned earlier, unlike mechanisms such as firewalls and intrusion detection systems, a honeypot does not address a specific problem. Instead, it is a tool that contributes to your overall security architecture. The value of honeypots and the problems they help solve depend on how you build, deploy, and use them.

Honeypots have certain advantages and disadvantages that affect their value. In this chapter we will examine those advantages and disadvantages more closely. We will also look at the differences between production and research honeypots and their respective roles.