What is the role of a Honeypot in security?

• A. To detect and analyze attacks by simulating vulnerable systems
• B. To route traffic
• C. To host DNS resolution
• D. To store credentials

Answer: (A)

A honeypot is a decoy system placed in a network to lure attackers so defenders can observe and study their actions. By simulating vulnerable services or hosts, it attracts probing, exploitation attempts, and other attacker activity. This setup lets security teams detect intrusions early, collect detailed data on attack techniques, tools, and behaviors, and analyze threats without risking production systems. The value lies in gathering intelligence to improve defenses and defenses against evolving attacks.

Routing traffic is the job of routers or network devices, not a honeypot. Hosting DNS resolution is what a DNS server does, not the honeypot’s purpose. Storing credentials is not the goal of a honeypot; while attackers might encounter fake credentials, secure credential storage should be handled by proper vaults and access controls, not by a decoy system.