Raspberry Pi honeypot

[prehistoric]

Most security discussions are about keeping attackers out of computer systems. It may come as a surprise that there are systems designed to let them in -- honeypots.

The cost of these has previously been fairly high, but recent advances in cheap computers make even the Raspberry Pi a candidate lure to collect data on attackers who get into a network.

A variety of free honeypots have become available, and there is an organization dedicated to using them, honeynet. This appeals to me as a way to shoot back instead of simply hunkering down when people try to abuse a system. When several websites associated with Puppy Linux were under attack I used code collected from them to alert administrators of systems to which those sites were redirecting that attackers had poisoned SEO caches at those locations to help distribute malware. This cost the attacker money. It took a surprisingly long time for him to realize that exploits using one Puppy site were being fed to defenders of other sites within 24 hours, and not simply those using Puppy. He compromised sites being used by other distributors of malware, which must have displeased some of those paying him.

The ultimate solution to attacks on Barry's site was to move to better hosting and tighten operations, but reducing the payoff from attacks which seemed on the surface to be juvenile efforts to deface sites with pornography, while actually having another layer which redirected to sites distributing malware which produced income for the attacker, was personally satisfying. I'd like to do more of this if I were able. Perhaps there are others here who can take up the slack. Lots of us end up with machines given to us because they are too weak to run the latest and greatest bloatway.

Honeypots offer unique insights into the techniques, targets and psychology of attackers. Some of the discoveries about motivation and ethics are chilling, like a willingness to crash trains which appear to be real.

[Lobster]

Some may be interested in Havyn which also uses a Raspberry pi and an 11 year old ...
https://youtu.be/nVyqGKhLBcY

We don't really need more honey-pots, we need bee keepers. In other words, identify targets, buzz with the bees and become the queen. Start a new colony . . .

Though I have to say honey pots are a step in the right direction.