Those who say "you can't fight fire with fire" simply haven't worked in cybersecurity. Today, we know that you can fight artificial intelligence-driven attacks with artificial intelligence-driven solutions. This article explores another example; in particular, we're looking at how you can fight trickery with trickery using deception technology.
Although deception technology sounds a lot like something in the attacker's portfolio, it's actually something that organisations can leverage for an advantage against malicious actors.
It may be terrible to admit, but there's something enjoyable about playing someone at their own game. Historically, malicious actors have attacked organisations (and still do) through deception in the form of social engineering. Since the advent of computers, social engineering attacks such as phishing have wreaked havoc by tricking even the most tech-savvy people into the attacker's mercy – but there's nothing quite like giving someone a taste of their own medicine, eh?
Deception technology allows organisations to do just that. In particular, companies can use deception technology to create traps or decoys where security is often compromised. This includes legacy systems and connected Internet of Things devices, both of which are typical enterprise assets today.
How does deception technology work?
The decoys essentially act as breadcrumbs and pose as legitimate assets. In turn, they attract attackers into thinking they've hit jackpot. The funny thing is, they haven't. Instead, they are triggering alerts and generating reports of their activity. You can then examine their behaviours to understand the nature of the threat and monitor them to ensure they're not doing any real damage.
Deception technology gives you early insight into the attack, keeping you constantly ahead of the game. Furthermore, it also allows you to learn from actor activity to see routes attackers will take. In turn, you know attack trends and how/where to bolster your own security.
Deception technology is part of a very niche category of cybersecurity solutions that trip up attacks rather than mitigate or resolve them. However, as we plough on through digital transformation, and as companies endeavour to grow, deception technology will be more than just a nice-to-have. It'll be a necessity, thanks to its scalable and flexible capabilities.
If you're unsure about where to start, we would highly recommend Attivo Network's solution. It goes without saying that you need a product you can trust, and we think their deception technology offerings tick all the boxes, whatever the industry and whatever your specifications.
Why not check out our Top 10 Bot Management Solutions?
