Deception technology empowers defenders by luring attackers to engage with fake assets, revealing their presence and tactics. In OT/IoT environments, deception plays a critical role for these 3 key reasons:

Lack of Built-in Security: Many industrial control systems (ICS) & IoT devices lack security controls, leaving them vulnerable. Patching these systems is difficult, often taking months or years, making them prime targets for attackers.

Blurring of IT/OT Segments: OT environments are no longer fully air-gapped. Cyber attackers can now exploit vulnerabilities across connected IT & OT infrastructures. Thus, making it harder to defend critical systems.

Overwhelmed Security Teams: Security analysts face an overwhelming number of alerts. However, less than 5% of them are investigated. A shortage of experts who understand both OT & IT environments further complicates this challenge.

How Deception Technology Works

Deception technology’s primary goal is to detect attackers, whether automated malware or human intruders, by tricking them into engaging with fake assets.

This is where FortiDeceptor comes to play !

FortiDeceptor creates highly realistic decoys that blend into your network, making it difficult for attackers to tell the difference between real & fake assets. These decoys can mimic devices like medical systems, IoT devices, databases, etc. providing extensive coverage.

Key Elements of Deception Technology

Decoys. These are fake systems or services that mimic real ones. These include ATMs, routers, or IoT devices, luring attackers into engaging.

Lures. These are fake services running on decoys, like FTP or web servers. They are designed to attract cyber attackers.

Network Deception Traffic. Cyber attackers often sniff network traffic, looking for valuable data. FortiDeceptor generates fake traffic to entice attackers to engage with decoys.

Breadcrumbs (Tokens). Fake documents or poisoned credentials placed on real endpoints, leading attackers toward decoys.

FortiDeceptor operates by using unused IP addresses to create decoys that appear as integral parts of the network. Cyber attackers won’t have a clue that they are interacting with fake systems.

The Power of Deception

Deception technology creates a “mirror maze” effect within your network confusing cyber attackers. It provides organizations with opportunities to detect them at every turn. It flips the script, giving defenders a chance to detect attackers at many stages of their operations. If a cyber attacker tries to escalate privileges or deploy malware, FortiDeceptor can detect these actions & trigger a fast response.

One major advantage of FortiDeceptor is the reliability of its alerts. Since these alerts are generated only when attackers interact with decoys, there are virtually no false positives. This enables security teams to prioritize deception alerts confidently.

Combat Common Challenges with FortiDeceptor

Detects Ransomware. FortiDeceptor recognizes ransomware as soon as it encrypts a fake file & isolates the infected endpoint to prevent further damage.

Detects Zero-day Threats. By deploying high-interaction decoys, FortiDeceptor identifies zero-day exploits.

Pre-breach Warnings. Deploying decoys in the DMZ allows SOC analysts to receive alerts early in an attack. It enables them to adjust their defenses.

Protects Legacy OT/IoT Systems. Even unpatched devices are protected by decoys that simulate critical OT/IoT systems.

Uncovers Security Gaps. By simulating real-world environments, deception enhances pen testing. It helps to identify gaps in your security defenses.

Detects Stolen Credentials. FortiDeceptor detects the use of compromised credentials by setting decoys within the DMZ.

Provides Active Directory Deception. Real AD decoys & tokens help detect AD-related threats, enhancing protection.

Why Deception Technology is a Must-Have

Deception technology is a non-intrusive solution with zero impact on operations. It provides early, credible warnings with no false positives. It helps detect new threats, insider threats, & malicious activities while collecting vital threat intelligence specific to your environment.

FortiDeceptor is unique. It analyzes incidents using multiple forensic engines, learning & adapting to cyber attackers’ tactics. It tracks and blocks cyber attackers across both IT & OT networks. It makes it easy to deploy, maintain, and scale as your threat landscape evolves.

FortiDeceptor is affordable compared to other security solutions. It can be scaled automatically with minimal cost & effort. When suspicious activity is detected, it can dynamically deploy additional decoys to gather more intelligence & respond fast.

In a rapidly evolving threat landscape, deception technology gives organizations the upper hand, detecting attackers before they can cause significant damage. Thus, safeguarding both IT & OT environments.

Secure Network Solutions (SNS) offers the best security solutions to the customers across PAN India. To know more about Deception Technology for OT environments, please drop an email to [email protected]

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Swathi
Author

Working IT professional and a Cyber Security enthusiast. Passionate to write about Cyber Security topics and Solutions. I share my insights as I study articles and trending topics in the field of Cyber Security.