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A honeypot is primarily used in cybersecurity to attract and trap potential attackers. The concept behind a honeypot is to create a decoy system or resource that appears to be a legitimate part of a network but is isolated and specifically configured to detect, deflect, or study attempts to infiltrate a network. By engaging attackers with a seemingly vulnerable target, security teams can collect valuable data on their tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), leading to stronger security measures and insights into emerging threats.

The honeypot acts as a controlled environment where malicious activities can be observed without putting real assets at risk. This information is crucial for understanding attacker behavior and improving overall security posture. It also serves to divert attention away from actual valuable resources, reducing the risk of real attacks. This use of deception is a central benefit of deploying honeypots in an organization’s cybersecurity strategy.

Other options, while relevant to cybersecurity, do not capture the primary function of a honeypot. Monitoring network traffic focuses on observing and analyzing data that flows through a network. Backing up data securely is a practice aimed at data recovery and integrity, while performing system diagnostics is about identifying issues within a system rather than intentionally attracting malicious actors.