Hybrid cyber defense strategies using Honey-X: A survey

Abstract

The development and adoption of network technologies reshape our daily life; however, network-connected devices have become popular targets of cybercrimes. Honey-X-based cyber defense technologies, like honeypots, honeynets, and honeytokens, can provide cyber threat intelligence and protect network users against various cyberattacks by leveraging deception techniques. The hybrid defense strategies of defensive cyber deception (DCD) and moving target defense (MTD) approaches while combining the advances of Machine Learning (ML) or Game Theory (GT), which have the potential to offer cyber security enhancement against malicious adversaries. This survey paper aims to comprehensively understand the defensive approaches based on honey-X for cyber defense. It analyses and categorizes the honey-X-based defense strategies, presents the security quantification of cyber defense, and outlines challenges and future directions for honey-X-based cyber defense strategies.