Design of Dynamic and Personalized Deception: A Research Framework and New Insights

Abstract

Deceptive defense techniques (e.g., intrusion detection, firewalls, honeypots, honeynets) are commonly used to prevent cyberattacks. However, most current defense techniques are generic and static, and are often learned and exploited by attackers. It is important to advance from static to dynamic forms of defense that can actively adapt a defense strategy according to the actions taken by individual attackers during an active attack. Our novel research approach relies on cognitive models and experimental games: Cognitive models aim at replicating an attacker’s behavior allowing the creation of personalized, dynamic deceptive defense strategies; experimental games help study human actions, calibrate cognitive models, and validate deceptive strategies. In this paper we offer the following contributions: (i) a general research framework for the design of dynamic, adaptive and personalized deception strategies for cyberdefense; (ii) a summary of major insights from experiments and cognitive models developed for security games of increased complexity; and (iii) a taxonomy of potential deception strategies derived from our research program so far.