What does the term "honeypot" refer to in cybersecurity?

In the context of cybersecurity, a honeypot refers specifically to a system set up to attract and trap potential attackers. The primary purpose of a honeypot is to serve as a decoy, imitating a vulnerable target that can draw in cyber adversaries. By doing this, security professionals can study the methods, tools, and strategies employed by these attackers. This insight can prove invaluable in understanding cyber threats, improving security measures, and developing more effective response strategies.

Creating a honeypot allows organizations to gather intelligence on attacker behavior without compromising real assets or sensitive data, thus enhancing overall cybersecurity posture. Since it functions as a controlled environment, it can provide valuable data for analysis while keeping the actual network safe from harm.

This distinction clarifies the role of a honeypot in the larger field of cybersecurity, emphasizing its function in threat detection and mitigation rather than in other capacities like encryption methods or traffic monitoring, which are addressed by the other options.