Intrusion Detection Using Honeypots and Sniffers

Intrusion Detection Using Honeypots and Sniffers

Abstract

Another killer virus strikes. Leaving in its wake destroyed data, shattered schedules and wounded hopes. And the smug smile of a devious programmer who unleashed this mindless evil. But the greatest harm a virus does is not to data, but to people’s faith in the very tools of their trade.

Leaving footprints in the sands of time is all well, but not if it happens to be quicksand that you are treading on… Can anyone rely upon their PC’s to enhance their output if the work of years can be undone within seconds by a villainous virus?

“To secure yourself against the enemy, you have to first know who your enemy is and what his strengths and weaknesses are.” To help protect your resources, you need to know who your threat is and how they are going to attack. Security professionals all around the world have been searching along this line of thought. Some of the tools developed as a result of this are Honeypots and Sniffers.

For thousands of years, military leaders have deceived their opponents in order to win battles. The ancient Egyptian pharaoh, Rameses II, lost the battle of Kadesh when a Hittite deception lured him into an ambush. During World War II, the Germans were led to believe that the real invasion would occur at the Pas de Calais instead of at Normandy. Even after the landing at Normandy, Hitler was convinced it was a feint and failed to respond in time. During operation Desert Storm, the United States used dummy soldiers, camps and even tanks to distract the Iraqi army while real soldiers entered Iraq virtually unopposed. The same techniques used in warfare can also be applied to defend networked assets from today’s savvy attackers.

Using only firewalls is analogous to a medieval city defending against the barbarian hordes with only high walls and unarmed sentries. Eventually, the city will fall. Hence IDS tools like Honeypots and sniffers have to be used.

Even at the risk of leaning towards melodrama, it must be accepted that this finally boils down to a battle between Good and Evil. And the history of mankind has shown us whose backside finally gets kicked. So protect yourself, relax take a ringside seat and keep your fingers crossed. The Bad Guys are in for a nasty surprise.