Definition
A file created for the purposes of deceiving an adversary.
How it works
The decoy file is made available as a local or network resource. Accesses to the file may be monitored. The files may be configurations, documents, executables, or other file types.
Considerations
Properties of the file such as cryptographic checksums, file creation date, file modified date, file size, file owner etc may be modified to improve the credibility of the file.
Example
- A CSV file with decoy user credentials is placed on a system. The system or network is then monitored to detect any accesses to the decoy files.
Implementation perspective
Decoy File should be treated as a technical defensive capability rather than a product checkbox. In practice, teams should define the protected scope, the conditions under which the technique acts, and the observable evidence that demonstrates the intended behavior. For this technique, likely engineering context includes File.
Use the technique to present controlled information, services, or artifacts that shape adversary behavior and create observable interaction.
Questions to ask
- What behavior is the deceptive element intended to attract, delay, reveal, or redirect?
- How is the deceptive element made plausible without creating unacceptable operational risk?
- Which interactions are monitored, and who investigates them?
- How is the deceptive environment isolated from production systems and sensitive data?
Evidence and validation
- Design records describing the deception objective and placement
- Isolation and containment test results
- Monitoring and alert-routing configuration
- Interaction records and documented investigative outcomes
Common failure patterns
- The deceptive element is obvious, stale, or inconsistent with the surrounding environment.
- Interactions are collected but not reviewed or connected to response processes.
- The decoy introduces a new pathway to production data or systems.
This implementation perspective is original Bare Metal Cyber educational content. It does not replace the official D3FEND definition or establish that a specific product implements the technique.
Technique hierarchy
Top-level family
Parent techniques
Direct child techniques
None listed at this level.
Artifacts and ontology entities
These relationships describe how D3FEND connects a defensive technique to artifacts or other ontology entities. They describe graph semantics, not a product certification.
Explicit technique relationships
Show inferred artifact relationship paths (1)
Offensive-technique relationships
These relationships are generated from D3FEND graph paths and are explicitly experimental. They should be treated as hypotheses for defensive analysis—not as proof that the technique prevents, detects, or removes an offensive behavior.
ATT&CK Enterprise (99)
Showing the first 60 of 99 source-derived relationships. Open the official D3FEND technique for the current graph view.
ATT&CK for ICS (8)
Authoritative sources
- Open this technique on the official D3FEND website ↗
- Open the official ontology resources ↗
- Open source intelligence deceptions ↗Illusive Networks Ltd · Hadar Yudovich; Nimrod Lavi; Sharon Bittan; Tom Kahana; Tom Sela · PatentReference
- Supply chain cyber-deception ↗Cymmetria, Inc. · Gadi EVRON; Dean SYSMAN; Imri Goldberg; Shmuel Ur · PatentReference
- System and a method for identifying the presence of malware and ransomware using mini-traps set at network endpoints ↗Fidelis Cybersecurity Solutions Inc · Doron Kolton; Rami Mizrahi; Omer Zohar; Benny Ben-Rabi; Alex Barbalat; Shlomi Gabai · PatentReference
- System and methods thereof for preventing ransomware from encrypting data elements stored in a memory of a computer-based system ↗Palo Alto Networks Inc · Gil BARAK · PatentReference
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