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Article

Title: 'Honeymonkeys' Find Web Threats

Author: Keizer, Gregg Article Type: Company
Source: Information Week, n1052 p64(1) Publication Date: Aug 15, 2005
  ISSN: 8750-6874
URL of Publication: http://www.informationweek.com

Microsoft Corp.'s products are favorite hacker targets. The software giant has resorted to cunning, preferring getting even to getting mad partly because the latter involves expensive legal action. The clever strategy is titled the Strider HoneyMonkey Exploit Detection System. The figurative ape in this name is derived from the 'monkey see, monkey do' nature of automated clients imitating human actions. Its honeypot predecessor cruised the Internet locating instances of marauders looking like clients, while honeymonkeys identify vulnerable clients. Using 12 to 25 machines as 'active client honeypots,' the Microsoft group instructed a PC running unpatched Windows XP SP1 to enter one of the 5,000 URLs identified as a possible source for malicious software. If the site downloaded software without user action, the URL was passed to a Windows XP SP2 honeymonkey, then a partially patched SP2 system, then a nearly fully patched SP2, and finally a fully patched SP2. The first month of this project identified over 750 URLs operated by nearly 300 Web sites able to deliver exploit code against unpatched Windows XP PCs. Exploiters will be shut down through a hosting vendor, an Internet service provider, or law enforcement. Scoff as they might, bad guys will have to expend considerable skull-sweat to work around this latest aggressive defense.

Companies:
Microsoft Corp

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Computer Security Hackers

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